


The Ordinary Life of Rose Macguffin

by impossiblynikki



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: HP - Freeform, Harry Potter - Freeform, Hogwarts, harry potter original characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 18:17:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 58,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3080231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossiblynikki/pseuds/impossiblynikki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose Macguffin, an ordinary young witch from a wizarding family goes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and gets more than she bargained for. She encounters famous wizards, trouble, drama, and romance as she grows up aside the likes of Harry Potter, Cho Chang, and more. From first year to seventh year and beyond we follow her story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Year One

August 31st, 1991

Tomorrow's the big day. The day she's been waiting for. When she'll climb onto the Hogwarts express, setting off to her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She can't lie, she's extremely worried, particularly about the sorting ceremony. Her parents are both proud Ravenclaws and it would make her sick if I didn't get Ravenclaw legacy hangs over her head with much weight, though both of them said they'd be proud of her regardless of what house she was sorted into. Still, she feels tomorrow growing closer, and grows more nervous by the second.

But she's excited to go to Hogwarts. she's heard all about it, the great hall, the classrooms, the quidditch. She'd very much love to try quidditch, though her mum doesn't think it's safe. But her dad's been teaching her to fly anyway, in secret. He'd played for the house team in his day, as the keeper. She decided she's be going out for the team, whichever house she's in of course. She's quite worried she won't be in Ravenclaw. She couldn't stand it if she was in Slytherin, she thinks she'd all but leave. But Gryffindor wouldn't be so bad, or Hufflepuff, her Mum and Dad have lots of friends at the Ministry from those houses. She's been reading about them in her new schoolbooks.

She enjoys reading more than anything else, she's practically already read her school books cover to cover.

She sighs as she tosses  _Hogwarts, A History_ into her school trunk with her other books. She'd organize them after supper of course. She hopes the dormitories have space for all of her books, without them she'd be lost.

"Rose!" her mother, Karen Macguffin sings from below, "Supper!"

She flies down the stairs, not bothering to close her trunk, tucking her wand in her pocket. She knew she couldn't do magic outside Hogwarts, of course, but it felt natural to have it around. She got it at Ollivander's last week in Diagon Alley. It had been her first time in the shop and it was an experience she's never forget. Her wand is nine inches long, willow, with unicorn hair. It's very beautiful and it fits nicely in her hand. If the wand really does choose the wizard, then she's glad this one chose her.

As she climbs down the stairs she thinks about apparition and how easy it would make things for her. But that was a long way off, of course, as she is only eleven years old. But Rose would have corrected you, eleven  _and a half,_ she'd say. She's funny like that.

Rose sits alone between her mother and father. They had made her favourite, roasted salmon with mashed potatoes and beans. Her face lights up at the sight of it. "I've made your favourite," her mum says, "Since you won't be having it for a while,"

"But don't you worry," she says, "The house elves know how to cook."

"Beyoch can bring me some of your cooking," Rose says with a smile, "If she ever wakes up,"

Beyoch is their family owl. She is large and gray, most of the time she's grumpy, and is fond of naps. She not particularly fond of Rose, though. Her mother and father laugh at her joke but her father speaks next, "Beyoch won't have to bring you anything," he says with a chuckle.

"Are we doing this now?" her mother says, putting her fork down at her husband's nod.

She shuffles out of the room quickly, her dark red braid swinging behind her. She reemerges with a cage, a small owl sits inside. "Is that for me?" Rose gasps, standing up.

"You didnae think we were going to send you to school with that old bird," her father says.

Beyoch hoots in protest in the distance. The new owl hoots excitedly at Rose, almost smiling, her heart-shaped face beaming. "She's a barn owl," her mother says, "Plenty of time to get acquainted later,"

She lifts the cage out of the room with a flick of her short hawthorne wand. "What are you going to name her?"

"I don't know," Rose says quietly, trying to think up a fitting name, "I'd like to get to know her first,"

The Macguffins eat their supper merrily, talking of Hogwarts and the year laying ahead of Rose. "You'll be fine, lass," her mother says, patting her on the shoulder, taking her empty plate to the kitchen.

She waves her wand and the dishes begin to wash themselves. "What if I'm not a Ravenclaw?" Rose asks, quietly, looking down at her hands, folded in her lap.

"You'll be in Ravenclaw, I have no doubt," her father says, "But if you're not there's nothing wrong with that. Your mother and I will be just as proud if you are in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff,"

"What if I'm in Slytherin?" Rose asks nervously, as they hadn't mentioned it.

They laugh and her mother says, "Oh, Rosie," she pauses, "There's not a bad bone in your body. You're much too sweet to be a Slytherin."

"What if I am?" Rose protests.

"Then Slytherin you are," her father says, though wrinkling his nose just the same, "I'm sure you'd do well in any house, my dear."

"Try not to worry about it," her mother says, deep lines of her own fear growing across her forehead, "Your house doesn't matter. What you do within that house is what matters. You're a smart girl, use that to your advantage wherever you end up."

Rose nods but is unconvinced. "Now off you pop, we've got a portkey to catch at Loch Na Sanais in three hours,"

Rose trots back upstairs to finish organizing her trunk, her new owl in tow. "I have no idea what to name you," Rose says, sticking her finger through a hole in the cage to give the owl a treat.

The owl hoots appreciatively and puffs up her feathers. She's a fine bird of mostly white, stripes of ginger-brown line her wings and face, speckles of gray dance around her neck and torso. "I'm going to call you…" Rose trails off, "...Aya."

Aya hoots happily as Rose turns back to her trunk, sitting cross-legged on the floor, attempting to organize it. "Couldn't mum have done an extension charm?" she mutters under her breath as she struggles to close it with everything packed inside, "Unpacking this is going to be a nightmare."

As she finishes she lays back onto her bed, Aya in her cage on the table beside her. She looks around her room for one last time before plucking up the courage to get up and leave it behind. She glances at her poster of Gwenog Jones, her favorite Quidditch player, a beater for the Holyhead Harpies. A poster for the wizard band, the Weird Sisters flashes in black and white on the other wall, surrounded by drawings she had done when she was a child. Her father used to animate them for her with his wand. They still dance around, little stick figures on broomsticks and the like, but they grow slower each year. It was time to leave her little house in Inverness behind for something new, an adventure. But she's nervous just the same, Hogwarts would take some getting used to.

* * *

September 1st, 1991

Rose and her family had caught the portkey on the shores of Loch Na Sanais the previous night, taking them to the streetcorner on which they found the wizarding pub the Leaky Cauldron. Her parents had reserved them a small room so they could head to Charing Cross station early the next morning. Rose barely slept that night, tossing in turning, with excitement mingled with fear.

When the time comes to get onto the platform Rose hesitates quickly before ramming her cart through the seemingly solid brick wall. Her parents follow her, their arms linked, smiling. Rose looks up at the enormous black and red steam engine with wonder and amazement. She had never ridden a train before. She always travelled by portkey.

She pushes her cart along the platform and loads it onto the train, with some help from her father. She clutches the handle atop Aya's cage so tightly she feels as though she might cut herself as she tries to keep herself together during her goodbyes. "It'll be fine, dear," her mother says, "Write us whenever you need to, my darling."

Her father pats her on the head and kneels down to her. He brushes her long red hair out of her eyes and says, "If you should need anything else, just ask. It's going to be hard at first but you'll grow to love it," he pauses, pressing a few golden coins into Rose's small hand and continues, "By the time Christmas comes you'll hardly want to leave."

Rose forces a smile but several tears fall from her eyes. Her father wipes them away and hugs her tight, "I love you," he whispers to her, she repeats it back to him.

She hugs her mother next, telling her she loves her too. Her mother squeezes her hand as she picks up the cage and climbs onto the train.

Rose waves out the first window as the train begins to move. Her parents follow it, strolling slowly until there becomes a bend and they fade to small dots far in the distance, still waving. Rose turns and sets off to find a compartment.

She struggles, panicking, as all the compartments she passes are full. "Excuse me," a voice says with a familiar accent to her own, "I've seen you pass by, do you need a place to sit?"

Rose turns to face an asian girl in a blue eagle jumper, slightly older than her. Her long, straight black hair dances around her shoulders. "Thank you," Rose says awkwardly, following her into the compartment.

"I'm Cho Chang," she says in a soft voice, "Are you from Scotland too? I thought I detected Inverness."

"Yes," Rose says shyly, tucking Aya's cage under her seat, "I'm Rose Macguffin,"

"This is Marietta Edgecombe," Cho gestures to a girl with very curly red hair, "Wilhemina Pepperidge, we call her Wil, she's a fourth year," she gestures to a dark girl with closely cropped hair, "And Poppy Tippet," she motions towards the girl sitting beside her, blue-eyed, with a long blonde ponytail.

"Is this your first year at Hogwarts?" Cho asks.

"It is," Rose says, not knowing what to say.

"Don't be nervous," Wil says, "Hogwarts is great, you're going to love it."

"What house are you hoping for?" Cho asks.

"Ravenclaw," Rose answers, "But anything but Slytherin would be fine."

The girls laugh and Poppy says, "It's my first time at Hogwarts as well. I'm quite nervous too."

"It's good to know I'm not alone," Rose says quickly, trying not to embarrass herself.

Cho and her friends are quite pretty, not to mention second years, short of Poppy, and the last thing Rose wanted to do was mess things up on her first day.

"Anything from the trolly?" an old witch asks from outside the compartment.

The girls stand up and file out, each selecting a few things from the trolley. Rose grabs two pumpkin pastilles, a sugar quill, a chocolate frog, a packet of droobles, and a pumpkin juice. "You like to eat!" Wil says, smiling, carrying her own large stack back to her seat.

She studies the Ravenclaw crest on her robes a moment before speaking. "I heard the feasts are amazing," Rose says, "At Hogwarts."

"Last year at the Halloween feast a first year Hufflepuff boy called Caldroc Cresswell ate so many licorice wants he got sick," Cho says, laughing, "It was quite awful."

"I'll pace myself then," Rose says, breaking into her droobles, "But I'm Scottish and we like to eat."

The girls laugh and flow in and out of conversations, never running out of things to talk about from Hogwarts, to magic, and everything Ravenclaw. Rose relaxed as the hours came and went, finally allowing herself to be normal and forgetting leaving her parents behind. It made her sad but she hardly thought of them again during the ride.

As the train slows to a halt at the Hogsmeade station, the students began to gather their things and exit the train. Their belongs were taken from them by the side of the tracks and Rose, Poppy, and the other first years are ushered towards are large man with an even larger lantern. "Follow me," the large man, Hagrid says, turning around, leading them to the edge of the lake that surrounds Hogwarts castle.

Rose looks up, astounded by the grandeur of it. Candles glitter in the windows and she could see the splendor of the place already. "We'll be takin' the boat t'the castle," Hagrid says, "Six per boat please."

Somehow Rose gets separated from Poppy and climbs into a boat of five. "Hi!" a bushy-haired girl sings to her, "I'm Hermione Granger."

She stuffs her hand into Rose's who says, "Rose Macguffin,"

"That's Dean Thomas, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom," she pauses and adds, "And Harry Potter,"

"Hello," she says as they turn to her and smile.

Harry Potter's lightning scar on his forehead illuminated in the firelight, fiery, red, unnerving. Harry is perhaps the most famous wizard of all. Harry smiles slightly but it doesn't reach his eyes. He understands why Rose looks at him so curiously. Rose shakes it off as he turns away from her. And perhaps for the next few minutes of the boat ride, she stares at him, the bigger wonder than any castle.

As the first years climb the great steps they are received by Professor McGonagall, a clan pin holding her emerald green cloak together. She leads them up the stairs and to a set of large wooden doors. She opens them and leads them into the great hall. It was surely greater than Rose had imagined. The enchanted sky glimmers with starlight, mingled with the warm glow of the floating candlesticks. The sight of it makes her stomach flip with excitement. She looks out to her fellow students, most of them much older than her, and her stomach flips for a different reason. This is it, she's about to be sorted.

Professor McGonagall leads them to an old wooden stool, a large, old, floppy brown hat placed atop it. The hat springs to life and begins to speak. It's an odd thing to witness but Rose is captivated taking in every word of the sorting hat's song, "Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see, I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me. You can keep your bowlers black, your top hats sleek and tall, for I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat, and I can cap them all. There's nothing hidden in your head The Sorting Hat can't see, so try me on and I will tell you where you ought to be…"

The hat continues on for several more verses, singing the praises of each of the four houses, before Professor McGonagall unfurls a roll of parchment and begins the sorting ceremony, "When I call your name, approach the stool, place the hat on your head, and then join the rest of your house for the feast."

"Susan Bones," she calls first, but she ignores this first few names, listening only for her own.

But her selfishness was soon broken as another name caught her attention, "Harry Potter," she calls.

Rose could see his familiar wild black hair weaving through the crowd of first years as he sat atop the stool. There are so many students whispering that Rose could hardly hear anything until it shouted  _Gryffindor!_

He races off with a smile to join Hermione, Ron, and the other Gryffindors. She is so fixated on him that she hardly notices when Professor McGonagall calls, "Rose Macguffin,"

She moves through the crowd slowly, nervous to approach the sorting hat in front of the whole school. Professor McGonagall picks up the hat as the sits down, placing it on her head. "Interesting, very interesting," the hat says.

She catches Harry's eye for a fraction of a second, "Gryffindor? No, only for superficial reasons do you want to be placed in Gryffindor house," the hat says as she breaks her gaze and looks to the Ravenclaws, to Cho, who beams at her, "I think it'll have to be... _Ravenclaw!"_

Rose hops off the seat and runs off to the cheering Ravenclaw table, taking the empty seat beside Cho. "I knew you'd be a Ravenclaw," Cho says, patting her on the back.

The sorting goes on for a long while before Dumbledore makes his speech. He looks to be a kind old man, but Rose did not wish to see what would happen if she crossed him, for she long had heard rumors of his power. The feast begins, the food appearing out of nowhere, much to the amazement of Rose and Poppy, who had also landed herself in Ravenclaw house.

They ate until they were practically bursting, then the pudding came and they ate some more. She could see how Caldroc Cresswell had made himself sick the year previous. Rose made no attempt to pace herself, for she was overjoyed to be a Ravenclaw, and proudly followed her fellows up to the tower, staring in amazement at all the paintings waving and welcoming them.

A large brass eagle knocker protrudes from a brown door atop the tower, which springs into being upon approaching it. "Welcome back to Hogwarts," it says, "Answer me this:  _what falls but never breaks?_ "

It poses the question to an older boy, a prefect by the name of Rabanous Plumpton. He considers his answer for a few seconds before speaking, "Night," he says, "Night falls upon us each day but breaks nothing,"

"Well reasoned!" The knocker sings, allowing them to enter the common room.

Rose gasps as she looks upon the place. The room is airy, enormous and circular, the starry sky shines up above them, painted onto the dome-shaped ceiling. Much to Rose's delight, the room is furnished with many books in bookcases, and comfortable chairs to read them in. Large windows surround them at all angles, in the daytime the common room would have incredible views. A life size marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw stands sentinel before the entrance to the dormitories.

Rabanous says, "Follow the staircase up to your rooms. For girls dormitories go to your left, for the boys, go right. You will find that all of your belongs have made it there safely. Welcome to Ravenclaw, first years. Professor Flitwick has asked me to remind you that under no circumstances are we to leave the common room after curfew unless you want to spend every weekend for six weeks helping him capture bullfrogs for the school chorus,"

A few students laugh and he goes on, "If you should have any problems wake myself or Dahlia Foggerty immediately," he pauses to gesture to her, "Once monthly we will have a house meeting in the common room, you are all welcome to join us."

"That's it then," Rabanous says, "Off to bed!"

"Oh!" he calls after the students forging their way to their dormitories, "Madame Pince has asked me to tell you to stop hoarding books from the library. Students from other houses may want to read them too!"

Rose follows Poppy, upwards, to the left with the other girls. A list of names is nailed on each door, the first years are at the top, as they are smaller rooms. The paper nailed onto last room, at the very top of the staircase reads:  _Amelia Dearborn, Rose Macguffin, Poppy Tippet, Millie Quigg._

"This is it!" Rose says, excitedly, throwing open the door.

The room is empty, obviously the other girls were not having much luck finding their room either. Poppy runs to her bed, recognizing her trunk, throwing herself onto it, laughing. Rose falls onto the bed beside her. Poppy wraps her blue and bronze scarf around her neck and says, "I can't believe we're at Hogwarts. I really can't believe it."

The door creaks open and both girls sit up. "Hi," a shy voice says.

The girl the voice belongs to is short, black-haired, olive of skin. "I'm Millie," she says.

Rose and Poppy repeat their names back to her and await their final roommate. "Amelia Dearborn," Rose reads aloud.

"Present!" a voice calls from down below.

The steps pound as the girl run up them. "Hi, I'm Amelia," a tall brown-haired girl exclaims, "I couldn't find my room."

"We're at the top," Rose says, "But we have an incredible view."

Rose, or so she thought, got the best bed in the room, for while she was laying down she could see the entirety of the forbidden forest, the stars, and beyond. The wind howls outside, reminding her that there'd be other nights to spend looking at the stars.

The girls excitedly throw open their trunks and begin to unpack. Their room is midnight blue, with a big bronze bookcase and four chairs by the far side. They go about organizing their books first. Poppy is muggleborn and the girls have good fun reading passages of her muggle stories. "In a hole in the ground there lived a  _hobbit_ ," Rose reads aloud, "What in the name of Merlin is a Hobbit?"

Poppy laughs and says, "Here, you'll like this one too,"

"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," Millie reads over Rose's shoulder, "What kind of rubbish is that?"

"It's not rubbish!" Poppy says, "They're my favorite books! From home. Reminds me of my dad. He's a police detective."

"I've seen one of those," Amelia says, "By the Leaky Cauldron once."

"They're like the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Poppy explains, "My dad solves cases with the police to catch criminals."

"My dad works for the Ministry," Rose says, "Broom regulatory control. He manages the Scottish department. He mostly travels or works from home but sometimes he goes to the office."

"My mum's a healer," Rose adds, "Used to work for St. Mungo's but now she travels all around Scotland and Ireland."

"My parents are in the Improper Use of Magic office," Millie says.

"What do your parents do, Amelia?" Millie asks.

"My mum's a seamstress and my dad works for the Department of Mysteries. I'm really not quite sure what he does."

The girls share stories and get to know eachother for the next few hours before going to bed, as the first day of classes were on the morrow, and they needed to be rested if they were to do well.

Rose scribbles a quick letter to her parents on a piece of parchment, intent on sending it out in the morning. Hogwarts had been everything she expected and more.

As she lays her head down on her pillow, she looks at the stars and falls into the most peaceful sleep she's had in a long time.

* * *

October 31st, 1991

It is Halloween and so much had happened since the start of term. Rose and the others had settled into their classes as well as they could. Rose was doing especially well in charms, being one of the first to master the levitation charm, wingardium leviosa. Rose also enjoyed Astronomy and learning the names of planets, she had even sent away for her own telescope to watch the stars from her dormitory.

Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration were also among her favorites. Professor McGonagall had taken a liking to her and often engaged her after class in discussions about the coursework. She thought Professor Quirrell a bit odd but the subject was fascinating and she delighted in the idea of casting her first defensive spell. But that was the problem with Quirrell, he didn't much care for casting spells, only the theory. Rose shrugged it off and set off to the library, learning the incantations anyway. She couldn't believe why anyone would be content with the knowledge alone. She wanted to learn everything she possibly could, to soak it all in.

What she couldn't soak in, however, was Professor Binns, the ghost teacher of History of Magic. She enjoyed reading the tales on her own but Binns was boring her to death. She thought on more than one occasion that perhaps the reason for his death was listening to his own voice drone on for an hour. Needless to say she couldn't wait until that class was over each day.

Rose also hated potions, for Professor Snape was insufferable. She had it with the Gryffindors and Slytherins, and she quickly realized he favored the latter. He constantly picked on poor Harry Potter, Rose longed to defend him but did not want to put her own house in jeopardy. She could see him growing sad and angry and hoped his friends would help him.

She also had flying lessons twice weekly with Madam Hooch and the Hufflepuffs. She had been a good flier before, but Madam Hooch helped her refine her skills, even introducing her to the Ravenclaw quidditch captain, Ellis Hooper. He told Rose that she'd make a fine keeper, and encouraged her to watch them play and try out for the team next year. This made Rose more pleased than anything she'd heard all year, second of course to being sorted into Ravenclaw in the first place.

Rose enjoyed Professor Sprout but really had no liking for Herbology. She found it boring and a bit tedious, she often found herself finished long before the other students and longed for their classes in the greenhouse to be over.

All in all, in many ways Hogwarts exceeded her expectations, and by the time Halloween had rolled around she had hardly missed her parents. She knew they were close by, Scotland was in the Highlands after all, and Aya made them seem like they were never far away.

For Halloween Rose's mother had sent her a basket of fresh cauldron cakes, which were happily eaten by Rose and her friends.

Rose and Poppy had represented the first year students at the monthly Ravenclaw house meeting where they inquired about starting a mentorship program for the younger students. Cho Chang, in a way, became her mentor and greatest friend. Aside from Poppy, of course.

Rose had grown closer to her roommates, but also to Cho Chang, forming a large friend group. She enjoyed eating breakfast by the lakeside with them, swapping stories on teachers they hated, boys they had crushes on, and books they were reading. They had spoken about starting a book club but hadn't gotten the chance to start one yet. Rose would make sure they'd speak about it at the next house meeting.

But they finally made it halfway to Christmas, the Halloween feast. The great hall buzzes with excitement as the students finish their suppers and wait for the mountain of sweets and desserts to appear before their eyes.

Rose starts in on a particularly large helping of pudding but is interrupted when the doors fly open and Quirrell bursts through the doors. The hall falls silent as he bellows, "Troll! Troll in the dungeon!"

He falls, flat on the ground to his face. The students begin to scream but Dumbledore calls for silence and orders the students to make for their common rooms with haste. Poppy grabs Rose's hand as they run down the great hall with the other Ravenclaws.

Out of the corner of her eye she sees two familiar boys running in the opposite direction of their common room. "Harry!" she calls, but they don't hear her.

"What are you doing?" Poppy says.

"They're going the wrong way!" Rose says, "They'll get killed!"

Poppy pulls her away from the boys as they round the corner and disappear, out of sight. She whips her head around and spots Professor McGonagall yelling orders to her own house. "Professor!" Rose calls, practically swimming through the mass of students to get back to her, "Professor McGonagall!"

"Macguffin!" she bellows, "Did you not hear the headmaster? To Ravenclaw Tower!"

"Professor, wait," Rose says, "I just saw Harry and Ron running off by themselves. That way,"

She points down the hall and McGonagall nods in approval.

"Thank you, Miss Macguffin," Professor McGonagall says, hurrying away from her, "Five points to Ravenclaw."

Rose swallows, looking back to Poppy, who waits for her, and hopes Harry and Ron would be alright. She wants very much to go after them but she knows she wouldn't make it far. She is a first year, after all. She doubted very much if she could've done anything to save them anyway.

The next day the halls are filled with gossip and rumors, how Harry, Ron, and Hermione had battled the troll in the girl's bathroom the previous night. She thought it unlikely that any other group of first years would have survived, nevermind succeeded in defeating the beast. She studies Harry carefully in potions and thinks much of his strength. He's covered in tiny bruises, Snape presses to bruise his ego, but still he endures. She longs to pluck up the courage to go and talk to him, but there was a reason she didn't end up in Gryffindor, she didn't have the bravery.

* * *

November 2nd, 1991

"Are you coming down to the pitch, Rose?" Cho Chang calls from the doorframe to her dormitory.

"Yeah, give me a second," she replies, fussing with her sweater.

"Slytherin versus Gryffindor," Cho says as Rose joins her, "This is definitely going to be interesting."

"You'll be playing Hufflepuff next week at least," Rose says.

Cho had just made the house team, she'd be their seeker. Rose was a bit jealous, though she wouldn't admit it to Cho. But Cho assured year that first years never make the team. And that was a lie, as they were endeavoring to see first year Harry Potter play his first game. And he had never even played quidditch before he came to school, nevermind having ridden a broom.

"I heard Harry's got a Nimbus 2000," Cho says as they climb the stairs to the top of the stands.

"I was there when he opened it at breakfast a few days back," Rose says, "It's a beautiful broom."

"I've got a Cleansweep, myself," Cho says, "I'm scared to compete with such a fast broom."

"You're an excellent flyer," Rose says, weaving through the stands to find a place to sit, "Better than Higgs, that's for certain."

Cho laughs and says, "Yeah, but the Slytherins will do anything to win. It hardly matters whether or not they have the talent."

"Where's Poppy?" Cho asks, switching the subject as they finally find a spot to sit down.

"Marietta and Poppy hate quidditch," Rose says, "They're probably in the library. I told them I'd be down to see them after the match."

"Oh! There they come!" Cho says, pointing at the sea of red and green pouring into the pitch.

Harry Potter is unmistakable amongst them as his messy hair that sticks up in the back is noticeable from half a kilometer away. Madam Hooch blows her whistle and the players fly off in different directions. "Angelina Johnson has the quaffle," Lee Jordan, the quidditch commentator from Gryffindor house bellows into the microphone.

"She shoots the quaffle past Bletchley," Lee says, his excitement mounting, "And she scores!"

"And what's this? Harry Potter's spotted the snitch! Look at that broom go, let's see Higgs try to outrun a Nimbus 2000! Ha!"

"Stick to the game Mr. Jordan!" Professor McGonagall warns too closely to the microphone.

"Sorry, Professor," Lee says, "He's reaching for the snitch! Yes, Harry! And ooh, blocked by Flint! That's a penalty, that is! Looks like Slytherin doesn't want a fair game!"

Madam Hooch blows her whistle, awarding a penalty shot to Alicia Spinnet, who scores, but causes Harry and Higgs to lose sight of the snitch.

"What's wrong with Harry's broom?" Lee shouts as Harry's broom begins to fly out of control, "Harry Potter's lost control of his boom. Or has he? Has that been tampered with?"

He weaves, spins in circles, his broom jerking him around like a rag doll. "He's going to fall off his broom!" Cho squeeks, terrified.

"Merlin's beard! What the bloody hell is going on over there?" Gregory Wilkes, a fifth year Ravenclaw boy shouts from behind them, "The stands are on fire!"

"Is that Professor Snape?" a third year Missy Jenkins calls, "Professor Snape's robes caught fire!"

"Was he the one jinxing Harry's broom then?" Rose asks perhaps a bit too loudly.

"He's a cheat!" Gregory bellows, "Trying to get his own team to win! I knew he hated Potter but he ruddy well almost killed him!"

"...And Harry Potter has regained control of his broom, and it looks like he's spotted the snitch!" Lee Jordan commentates, "And he makes his dive….OH! Harry Potter loses it! And he falls off his broom. Rotten luck."

"Hey, is he alright? It looks like he's about to be sick!" Lee Jordan says, "Harry Potter's got the snitch! Gryffindor wins!"

The crowd roars, short of the Slytherins as Harry holds the snitch up high for all to see. "He caught it in his  _mouth?"_ Cho says, astonished, "Ravenclaw's not in for a good season, now are we?"

Rose laughs and says, "All the same I'm glad he's not hurt. Somehow trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes."

"I'm not so sure he doesn't chase after the trouble," Missy Jenkins remarks.

Rose considers her point but doesn't reply. Harry needs to just be left alone. He's drawn to trouble because for his whole life trouble has been drawn to him. Somehow she can't blame him. But Snape,  _Professor_ Snape, she'd keep a watchful eye on. Not that the watchful eye of a first year would do much good, but in that moment she takes a silent vow to keep a close eye on Hogwarts and its students, for she thought everyone deserves happiness and safety.

* * *

December 15th, 1991

"Happy Christmas! See you when we all get back!" Amelia calls as Poppy and Rose pass her, trunks in tow, ready for Christmas break.

"Will you be staying at home for your entire break?" Poppy asks as they settle in at the Ravenclaw table to have a few sweets before the train comes.

Rose glances over and sees Harry and Ron engaged in a particularly fierce battle of wizard's chess and turns back to her.

"Rose?" Poppy asks, wondering if she heard her question, "What are you doing over break?"

"Going home, seeing my parents. Maybe we'll visit my Gran," Rose says, turning back to her butterbeer, "You?"

"My parents and I are going on a ski trip," Poppy says with a sigh, "Though I'm not much good."

"What's skiing?" Rose asks.

"It's when you glide over snow on two boards," Poppy says, struggling to explain it to her, "Lots of muggles enjoy it. But I was never very good."

"It's a shame we're not 17," Rose says, "Then you could bewitch your skis to do whatever you wanted."

"You know everyone is going to wonder about me when I'm suddenly so skilled at sports," Poppy says with a smile, "But it doesn't mean I won't do it."

Students start to file out of the main hall towards the train at the station in Hogsmeade, but upon reaching the wizarding town Rose heads off in the opposite direction. Since her home was closeby she'd be taking a portkey with several other students to a small hotel just outside Inverness, where her parents would undoubtedly be waiting for her.

She turns, looking back at the castle one last time before grabbing hold of the old tin can portkey. The castle was grander than ever she'd seen it, decorated for the holidays and covered with a fresh blanket of snow. She longed to be staying there but was excited to see her family at long last.

* * *

December 25th 1991

"Good morning!" Rose's mother sings as she slumps down the stair rubbing her eyes.

They had always awoken early on Christmas day and this year it'd be no different. They set out early to open their presents, each grabbing one and sitting on the comfortable sofa by the fire.

Rose could hardly believe her eyes as she handled the broom-shaped packaged. However, as she opened it, the illusion faded away into two tickets to see the Holyhead Harpies play that July. She hugged her father but was somehow disappointed that she didn't get a broom, her first proper broom.

She had given her mother a locket, with a small moving picture of the three of them smiling and waving. Her father had received a new tie, golden snitches embroidered onto it by Rose herself. It wasn't much but it was something.

Rose received a new Ravenclaw jumper, many different kinds of candy, a new set of dress robes, a copy of Gilderoy Lockheart's newest book, and a knit hat. "There's one more left, sweetheart," her mother says, bending down to pick it up.

She hands Rose a box no larger than that of a napkin, wrapped in burlap and tied with a bow. She pulls the strings and opens the box and sees a large wooden handle. She grabs it and pulls, yanking a brand new broom out of the miniscule box. "Undetectable extension charm," her father says, beaming, "Your mother's idea."

"It's brilliant!" Rose says, admiring her new Comet 260.

"It's not much but it's a start," her mother says, smiling.

"Not much? This is amazing!" Rose exclaims, examining it, "I can't wait to take it to school next year!"

"My little girl's going to be on the house team," her father says, "I'm so proud."

"Dad, I haven't earned it yet," Rose protests.

"We'll see, my darling," he says, "We'll see."

* * *

January 21st, 1992

As the year turned, more snow fell and so the student of Hogwarts school came back to continue classes. Rose got a lot of use out of her Ravenclaw scarf, sometimes even wearing it during classes. The school is beautiful but cold and the students have taken to sending heating charms through the floor at night as to not get cold feet.

Rose had been attentive to her studies, not missing a single lesson, short of today as, she had taken a fall and had to go to the hospital wing. She was alright, of course, just a bruise, which Madam Pomfrey erased in seconds. All was left was the small cut, which she hid with a bandage. Rose was surprised that more students didn't fall as the changing staircases were unpredictable.

She walks briskly down the steps, down the hall, and into the dungeons, where the potions classroom was located and opened the door quietly. "Ah, Miss Macguffin, decided to join us at last."

"I'm sorry sir," Rose says brandishing a piece of parchment, "I fell down the steps and hit my head and had to go to the hospital wing."

"Ten points from Ravenclaw for tardiness," he says, waving the note aside.

"Please, sir, this is a note from Madam Pomfrey explaining everything. I wasn't late because I wanted to be," Rose says, trying to hand him the note once more.

She hands him the note and he turns it to ash without as much as a wave of his wand. "You can't take points from someone if they have a note," Hermione Granger says.

"What note?" he says, throwing his hands up, "And five points from Gryffindor for taking out of school, Miss Granger."

"That's unfair!" Harry Potter interjects.

"Life is unfair, Mr. Potter," Snape says, "You would do well to recognize that."

"I'm going to talk to Professor Flitwick," Rose says, standing up to him, looking him in the eye.

Part of her thought she saw a glimmer of respect in his eye but it quickly faded to anger, "Make that twenty points, Miss Macguffin and detention this Saturday."

"Now sit down," he hisses at her.

Rose noisily clomps to the back of the room to try to show her annoyance. She throws her books down hard before yanking out her stool. If one thing was for certain, no-one crossed a Macguffin.

"Ooh hoo hoo," Malfoy hisses at her from the row in front of her, "Your boyfriend's coming to your aid now, eh Ginger?"

"Shut up, Malfoy," she says, through gritted teeth, blue eyes flashing with anger.

She presses her quill into her parchment so hard she punctures it in a few places, seething, counting the seconds until the lesson would be over.

As soon as the bells chime in the distance she slams her books into her bag and flies out of the classroom, wanting to create as much distance between Snape and her as possible. "Rose!" a voice calls from behind her.

She turns to face none other than Harry Potter. "You dropped this," he says, handing her a rolled up piece of parchment, "Very accurate."

She unfurls it realizing it was the rude drawing she had scribbled on scrap parchment of professor Snape, a talking nose with greasy nose-hair. "I didn't think anyone would see that," she says, embarrassed.

"I thought it was brilliant," Harry says, "Listen, don't worry about Snape. He has a go at me everyday but he has no reason to hate you."

"He has no reason to hate you either," Rose remarks.

Harry shrugs, nods his head and says goodbye, rejoining Hermione and Ron. She longed to call him back to her, to speak more, but she'd missed her chance. Maybe they'd speak again, though she doubted it. What reason would Harry Potter have to look at her?

* * *

January 25th, 1992

"Tonight you will be re-organizing the potions shelf," Snape hisses, "Without magic."

Rose stares at the massive shelf, wondering where to start, before deciding that alphabetical order would be best.

An hour and a half later she finishes and turns back to Professor Snape and says, "I'm finished."

He stands and goes to examine her work. "You were supposed to organize the potions shelf," he hisses, "Starting with the most frequently used."

"You never said that," Rose says, "Besides this way is just as good."

"Redo them," Snape says, turning from her.

"I will not!" she protests, walking back towards him.

"You will do what I say!" Snape hisses.

"Is everything alright?" a gruff voice calls from the doorway.

"Yes, Hagrid," Snape groans, "Miss Macguffin here was just serving her afternoon detention with me."

"Rose? Detention? Now that's a laugh if I e'er heard one," Hagrid says, "All the other professors rave about 'er."

"Perhaps the other professors are wrong," he says.

"Or perhaps you're just mean," Rose mutters under her breath.

"What was that?" Snape asks, turning to her.

"I said you're mean," Rose stands her ground, "And I won't do this again for you. I didn't even do anything to deserve this detention anyway."

"Organize your own potions," she adds, picking up her bag, brushing past Hagrid to leave.

"I'll be speaking with your head of house about this," Snape hisses after her.

"Good luck with that," she says, blood still boiling, setting off for Flitwick's office.

Professor Flitwick could hardly believe what Rose told him. She was always such a reasonable girl, and he thought Snape was cold, cold but not without reason. "There's something else, Professor," she says.

"I think it was Snape that jinxed Harry Potter's broom at the first match back in November," Rose says, "We saw him."

"That is a very serious accusation, Miss Macguffin," Flitwick says, "Your proof?"

"I have none," Rose says, "I know that's not much to go on but you should see how he treats him. It's awful."

"Just be glad you haven't caused much damage, Rose," Flitwick warns her, "I'll patch things up with Snape this once, as you are one of my favorite students, but should you cause trouble with him again you are on your own. As for the matter of Mr. Potter, it is not in my hands. I will speak to Professor McGonagall but not much can be done."

"I assure you that Mr. Potter is well looked after," Flitwick says with a smile, "Now spend more time worrying about yourself, not him. You've got a charms test this week don't forget."

"Thank you, sir," she says, turning to leave, out of trouble at last.

* * *

February 26th, 1992

The next month dragged by, the cold seeming to make everyone more cold-hearted. Snape ignored Rose, indifferently, refusing to acknowledge her very existence. Rose brushed it off as an improvement, at least she never had to speak to him.

She had finally managed to do the switching spell in transfiguration, earning her ten points for her house. She worked very hard to earn back the points she had lost them, she didn't want her poor judgement to reflect badly on Ravenclaw house. By the end of February she had well out-earned more than she lost, much to delight of the other Ravenclaws. She loved looking at the sparkling blue gems as she passes the great hall, still she grew worried that there were not enough to win the house cup. They were still in second place, behind Slytherin.

She wakes up early on February the 26th, dragging her feet out of her warm bed to get dressed for the day. "Poppy?" she calls, "Millie? Amelia?"

"Where are you?" she asks, half irritated that they had gone down to eat without her.

She fastens her robe around her shoulders, tying her tie as she flies down the spiral steps of the tower. Her satchel sways beside her, hitting her in the legs.

She surpsesses a groan thinking of what today will bring as this morning meant double potions with Snape of all things. But at least she'd have flying, and a midnight class in the astronomy tower. Besides, potions is first and it would be over before she knew it.

_Bam! Pop, pop, pop!_ Blue sparks sail over Rose's head. "Happy Birthday!" at least five girls say in unison as she walks through the doorway of the great hall.

"I thought you guys had forgot and left without me," Rose says, "On a day with double potions no less!"

"We'd never," Amelia says, with a grin, "Come sit!"

Wil had bewitched her morning waffles to yell out compliments to her before she left for class. "You're amazing! Your hair is lovely. Ravenclaw house is lucky to have you!" they sing before the spell fades after the first bites.

"I got Robbie Greer to get you this in Hogsmeade a few days ago," Cho says, handing her a small box.

Rose opens it and a chocolate frog box, an acid pop, and a bag of Bertie Botts every Flavour Beans lays inside it. "Thank you, Cho!" Rose says, throwing her arms around her.

"Open ours next," Millie says, shoving a large box towards her.

Rose pulls the blue and bronze ribbon at the top and the sides fall open to reveal a large midnight blue bag with a bronze eagle embroidered onto it. "Did you make this?" Rose asks, astonished, happy to rid herself of her boring brown book bag.

"We all helped," Poppy says, "I sewed it together, by hand mind you, Marietta embroidered it, and Amelia and Millie put what's inside it."

Rose excitedly throws open her bag to find a leather-bound book. She opens it and flips through the first few pages. Amelia is fond of taking photos and she had given Rose a photo book, which was mostly empty and ready to make more memories. "Thank you all, really,"

"Don't mention it," Poppy says, "You'd do the same for us. And you have. Don't think I've forgotten that beautiful new quill you bought for me a few weeks back,"

Rose smiles, not knowing what else to say, but feeling the love all around her intensely from friends that would surely last a lifetime.

* * *

May 6th, 1992

It had been two months since Rose's birthday and all was well. Rose was doing well in all of her classes, including potions, and she was set to be one of the top students of her year, short of Hermione Granger of course. Rose grew to resent the girl somewhat, though she was unsure it was because of her grades. Perhaps she was jealous because Hermione was close to Harry Potter, the boy whom she has developed a major crush on.

It had been a long day of lessons, starting with double potions after breakfast, and ending with Astronomy class at midnight atop the tallest tower.

Rose tucks her books into her backpack at 1am, eager to get some sleep for the next day. She loved looking at the stars but she didn't much like having to do it at such a late hour. Wednesdays were by far her longest day, but still, the stars shine brightly in the sky and she turns for one last look through the telescope. "Coming, Rose?" Poppy asks.

"I'll be a moment," Rose says, gazing at the stars, "I think I'll enjoy the quiet for a few moments."

"Alright then," she says, "I'll see you back home then."

It was funny, all of the girls in her dormitory started calling Ravenclaw tower  _home_  as if their real home never existed. Rose's parents were right, she never wanted to leave. She frowns, thinking of summer fast approaching. She'd miss this school, the library, the stars, but they'd surely be waiting for her next year and the remaining five to follow. And to her, that was the happiest of thoughts.

"Hagrid, no!" she hears a bossy voice from down below demand, "You can't keep him!"

Rose points her telescope downwards and sees Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, and Neville Longbottom trotting across the grass, headed for the tower in which she currently stood. She looks to the sky and sees two men on broomsticks heading right for her.

She flies back down the stairs fast, hoping they won't see her, crouching behind a tapestry on the wall below. "You can't ruddy well keep a dragon in the castle," Ron's croaky voice says, "You're barking!"

"Ronald's right, you know, Hagrid," Hermione says, "Norbert will be better off with his own kind."

"I know, I know," Hagrid says through gigantic sobs, "But he's so small. So, so small. I just don't want him to get hurt, y'know?"

Hermione pats him on the massive back as they climb the spiral stairs, out of sight, their voices muffle. As they round the corner she sees a large puff of smoke, coupled with loud swearing.

She exhales hard, checking if she'd be able to emerge from behind the tapestry unseen. Ravenclaw tower was only a staircase away. But then she saw him, Draco Malfoy, wand aloft, sneaking down the hallway.

She hugs the wall, hoping he won't notice her feet, but he passes her by without so much as a look. He rounds the corner of the spiral staircase, out of sight at last. Rose sprints to the staircase, eager to be inside her own common room, where she was supposed to be. Students weren't supposed to wander the corridors at night but on Wednesdays they had Astronomy at midnight and were permitted to leave their common room for one hour and ten minutes, no more. It had been almost an hour and a half and Rose felt dangerous. She hardly remembered she'd have to answer a question to get back to her dorm.

"Judge no book by its cover, it is said amongst the wise, my unappealing outside may tell truth among the lies. The swiftest means to reach thy goal lies hidden inside me, extend thy hand then, fair pilgrim, and embrace thy destiny. What am I?"

Rose considers it for a moment, glancing behind her to make sure she was alone. "A portkey," she says, discovering the answer at last.

"Well done!" the eagle sings, swinging open the door.

Rose flies through it, slamming it behind her, racing to the window. She looks up to the Astronomy tower and just catches two men on broomstick flying away with a small cage, small bursts of fire creeping out from it. "A dragon?" Rose mumbles to herself.

"Rose?" Poppy calls from the stair's edge, dressed in her pajamas, "Coming to bed?"

"Yeah," Rose says, turning away from the window, heart racing.

* * *

May 23rd, 1992

Harry Potter and his friends were caught, or so the rumors said, and he is being forced to do detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden forest on this night, and on possibly many others. Rumor has it that Draco Malfoy will also be with them, as though he attempted to get Potter in trouble, he landed himself in trouble also.

Rose heads to the library in the afternoon, eager to study for her transfiguration test. She'd have to turn a match into a needle, write an essay about the switching spell, and turn a mouse into a snuffbox. All of which she has mastered, but is paranoid about just the same.

She grabs a book off the shelf and scours the pages, noting anything that mentioned any of the subjects. She wanted to be prepared for everything, and she believed that the magical theory was just as important as the spells themselves.

She trots down to the owlery later that day, letter in hand, ready to send Aya to her parents. She had gotten much use of Aya through the year, she often sent away for books or used her to send letters home. Her parents had taken to sending care packages to her, full of sweets, newspaper clippings, and letters. This would most likely be the last letter she'd write them as school would be over by the end of July.

Aya hoots appreciatively as Rose feeds her an owl treat and pats her head before the short journey. The distance was so small between that of Hogwarts and Inverness that she could have a reply from her Mother by the end of the day. Aya had taken to tapping on her dormitory window, even in the night, to deliver her mail. Rose thought it was cute and she appreciated her willingness to please her, she didn't discourage her for it. How she loved that owl.

"Hi, Rose," Dean Thomas says, sending his owl off with his own letter, "Ready for the test Monday?"

"Sorry," he thinks better of it, grinning, he says, "You're  _always_ prepared for a test."

"Hello Dean," Rose says, forcing back a smile, "I don't think I'm ever ready for a test."

"No that's Seamus," he says with a laugh, "He managed to blow up a needle last night. A needle! Can you believe it?"

"Anyway, I'd best be off," he says, "See ya!"

Rose waves him a goodbye, ties a note to Arya's outstretched leg and sends her off to Inverness. The air is warming, and a summer's breeze hits her face. She rolls up the sleeves of her white jumper, closes her bag, and heads back down the stairs.

"Rose! Rose!" a familiar voice calls from down the hall.

Millie and Poppy race towards her fast, calling for her to follow them. "Cho's been hurt!" Poppy exclaims, "In quidditch practice, she fell off her broom!"

"She's in the hospital wing," Millie says, "Amelia and Marietta are already there."

The three of them fly up to the hospital wing and burst through the door. "What happened to you?" Rose asks, looking down at her on the bed.

Blood runs down her face and her arm is covered in bandages from wrist to armpit. "It was nothing sinister. We were having quidditch practice and I got hit with a bludger," she says, "I managed to protect my face with my arm but it hit the back of my broom as I spun out. And well...I fell."

"Will she be alright?" Poppy asks Madam Pomfrey.

"Oh yes, dear, she'll be quite alright. Her bones need mending but by the week's end she'll be almost normal. Still, she hit her head and I'd like to keep her overnight."

"I'll stay with you," Rose says.

"You most certainly will not!" Madam Pomfrey exclaims, "Only the sick and injured belong in these beds and I'm already breaking my rules for you. Only two visitors at a time, please."

"I'm not worried about that," Cho says, "Who's going to play Hufflepuff in the match tomorrow?"

"Not you," Madam Pomfrey, "I'm afraid you'll have to miss this one."

"We can find someone else, Cho," Ellis Hooper, the tall handsome Ravenclaw quidditch captain says, "Nothing's more important than your health."

"Leave Miss Chang to rest now," Madam Pomfrey ushers them out.

Ellis mutters under his breath as he walks out of the doors. "Where the bloody hell am I going to find a seeker on less than twenty-four hour's notice," he says to himself.

"I-I'll play," Rose says.

"Are you any good?" he asks.

"I've been playing quidditch my whole life," Rose says, "I know I'm just a first year but if you haven't got anyone else."

"I remember you. What did you say your name was again?" he asks, "Rose?"

"Rose Macguffin," she repeats.

"I've still got the pitched booked for another two hours," he says, "I'm sure you'd be able to borrow a school broom or something. Let's see how good you are."

Rose swallows hard and waves a goodbye to her astonished friends. She'd been dreaming of playing on the house team but not like this, not because her friend is injured.

"Everyone," Ellis says as he reaches the pitch, "Madam Pomfrey says Cho is going to be alright."

Sighs of relief echo all around him, "However she won't be able to play in tomorrow's game," he says and is received by disappointed groans, "Listen, you all!"

They fall silent and he continues, "This is Rose, she's volunteered to take Cho's place tomorrow. But first we'll see what she's got."

Rose showed them what she had and Ellis very much liked it. As the practice ends he walks off the pitch with her, discussing final plans, "I'd like to have you on the team next year," he says, "We'll be losing two spots next year, one keeper and a beater. Are you interested?"

"I'm not really built for being a beater," she says, "But I've always wanted to be a keeper."

"You'd make a fair seeker too," he says, "Almost as good as Cho."

"I just hope I do alright tomorrow," Rose says, "I've never played in front of that many people before.""

"Just ignore them," Ellis says, "Pretend they don't even exist. All you have to do is find the snitch."

"Oh that's all," she says sarcastically.

He laughs and pats her on the shoulder, "You'll be fine," he pauses and says, "Get changed and meet us outside the pitch twenty minutes before the game so we can go over some of those plays one more time."

"Got it," she says, trotting off back to Ravenclaw tower, eager to take a long hot shower and wash all of her worries away.

* * *

May 24th, 1992

"Rose Macguffin catches the snitch!" Lee Jordan bellows, "Ravenclaw moves onto the finals,"

Rose doesn't hear much else for her temporary teammates are screeching and a sea of bronze and blue is heading straight for her. Ellis picks her up and puts her on his shoulders. She holds the snitch up proudly for all to see. "You did it! I can't..." Poppy bellows over the crowd but the rest of her words are lost.

Ellis carries her on his shoulders as the Ravenclaws burst into song:

_Quick of wit and sharp of tongue,_

_the other players they'll sure outrun,_

_Defends the goals, fast and strong,_

_the keeper moves quick the whole game long,_

_The Chasers take the quaffle and always score the goal,_

_they move right, left, up and down, and send them through the poles,_

_The beaters send the bludgers away quickly out of sight,_

_those nasty little buggers always put up such a fight,_

_Through thick or thin out on the pitch,_

_Ravenclaw seeker always catches the snitch,_

_Ravenclaws will get it done,_

_ensuring that the game is won!_

Rose feels as though she may fall as they race up the stairs to the common room, where Cho sits waiting in an armchair by the window. She beams as her fellows burst through the door. The bronze eagle on her chest gleams in the sunlight.

A fourth year boy sets off tiny canons of blue and bronze confetti, which rains down upon them and cycles back over and over before the charm wears off and they start to disappear. Rose had never felt so proud or happy in her entire life.

* * *

June 10th, 1992

Rose's happiness soon faded as news of the trials and tribulations Harry Potter had gone through spreaded around the school.

"I heard Dean Thomas telling Nancy Wiggleston that Harry Potter fought off You-Know-Who himself last night! Can you believe it?" Millie says.

"Oh I can believe it," she says, glancing at the empty seats Harry, Ron, and Hermione would have taken up.

"I can't believe he was Quirrell the whole time," Amelia says.

"What?" Millie and Rose say, spitting out their pumpkin juice in surprise.

"Yeah," she says, "I heard Seamus say that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had attached himself to what was Professor Quirrell."

She motions to the back of her head, "He was underneath the turban the whole time."

"You're barking," Rose says.

"It's true," Cho says, "I overheard Flitwick and McGonagall talking about it when I was coming down. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were with them. And they're alright but well…" she trails off, "Harry Potter's in the hospital wing and he supposedly doesn't look very good."

"I imagine you wouldn't either, Cho, if you had battled Lord Vo-"

"Don't say the name, Poppy!" Rose spits.

"Sorry," she says, as a muggle-born sometimes she still forgets.

Rose stands up, throws her bag over her shoulder and says, "I'll see you guys later, I've got something I've got to do."

She races up the stairs to the hospital wing, stopping outside the door. She opens it quietly and sees the curtains behind which Harry Potter undoubtedly fights for his life. She rummages through her bag and pulls out the brand new box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans her mother had recently sent her. She pulls over an empty bed-side table and places it on top.

She turns to leave but picks it back up and quickly scribbles, " _We believe in you, Harry, keep fighting -RM"._

She thought he'd have a harder time figuring out who left them if she used her initials. She wasn't quite sure why but it embarrassed her, leaving such a small token for the great Harry Potter, but she left it none-the-less.

* * *

June 26, 1992

The school year was finally over, and Rose, Poppy, Millie, Cho, Marietta, and Amelia strode into the common room, eager to start the end of term feast. They groan as they look up to Slytherin banners. Amelia says, "Anyone else but them. Did it really have to be them?"

Rose shrugs and takes her seat, glancing at Malfoy, smugness having taken hold of his weasely face.

Dumbledore stands to give his usual end of term speech, "Another year gone. And now, as I understand it, the house cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus," he pauses and continues, "In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points. Third place, Hufflepuff, with 352 points. In second place, Ravenclaw, with 426 points. And in first place, with 472 points, Slytherin House."

"Only forty-six points and we would have won. I hate those snakes," Marietta groans.

Cho shoots her a warning look. Marietta always seemed to do that, complain anytime and anywhere. While it was awful Slytherin won, she didn't need to have sour grapes about it.

"Yes, yes, well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account. And I have a few last minute points to award," Dumbledore says, whispers spreading throughout the room as he pauses to take a breath, "To Miss Hermione Granger, for the use of cool intellect when others were in great peril, 50 points."

"Second, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years...50 points," Dumbledore goes on, "And third, to Mr. Harry Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house 60 points."

"And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award 10 points to Neville Longbottom," Dumbledore finishes, awarding Gryffindor 10 points over Slytherin.

"Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe that a change of decoration is in order," he says, clapping his hands together, causing the green banners to change to yellow and red, "Gryffindor wins the House Cup!"

The Gryffindor students cheer and slowly the whole great hall does too, short of the Slytherins. Rose was among the first from the other houses to stand. She catches a quick glimpse of him, Harry Potter, and she beams, the boy who lived? The boy who survives more like. She laughs as she throws her hat into the air with the rest of the students, one final moment of joy before they'd leave the stone walls of Hogwarts school for the summer. She hardly wants to leave.

* * *

June 27th, 1992

The train comes slowly into view as Rose and her friends walk down from the castle, eager to get home. The black and red engine steams as it warms up for its long journey.

Rose loads her trunk onto the train and carries Aya up the steps and into the first empty compartment. "I know you'll miss being around other owls, Aya," she whispers into the cage, "But we'll be back next year."

The compartment door slides open and Poppy flops onto the seat beside her, crossing her legs, taking out one of her muggle books. "What's this one called?" Rose says, staring at the cover.

"A Wrinkle in Time," she says, turning the page.

She always read such funny books. Cho and Marietta slide the door open and sit opposite them, Millie and Amelia following close behind. And there they sat, for one final time, together, the six of them that year at Hogwarts.

"Promise to write me," Poppy says, hugging Rose goodbye some hours later on the platform.

"You know I will," she says, waving in goodbye as her parents lead her away.

Wil waves at her from afar. Rose bids Millie and Amelia goodbye too but somehow Marietta slips away. In the past year she had come to realize that she didn't much like Marietta. There was something about her that rubbed Rose the wrong way.

"Goodbye, Rose," Cho says, giving her a side hug as to not knock over Aya, "Though I expect it won't be for long."

"It won't be," Rose says, "I'll write you when I get home."

Cho nods and follows her family away, off the platform. Rose turns around and walks a few paces, not seeing her parents. "Thought ye could slip away from us?" a familiar Scottish voice says.

She turns around and sees them, at long last, her parents. She runs and hugs them both for the first time in a long time, a little older, a little wiser, but still the same young witch she had always been.


	2. Year Two

August 28th, 1992

Rose steps through the opening in the brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron, into Diagon Alley. The streets are busy, filled with shoppers, families, and her fellow Hogwarts students. "What do you need to get, dear?" her mother asks.

Her father had stayed back home, and the two Macguffin women had taken a portkey to London early, to wait to get onto the platform.

"The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Two, Gilderoy Lockhart's collected works, most of which I already have," Rose says, pausing to scan the rest of the list, "I need to stop quickly at the apothecary to get a few potions ingredients and get some new ink at Amanuensis Quills."

"What do you say we pop into Madam Malkins, it's right next door?" her mother asks.

Rose nods and says, "I could stand for a new set of school robes, the ones from last year are a bit short."

"Then we'll head over to Florean Fortescue's for some ice cream," Rose's mother says, "I'm starving."

The two set off down the cobblestone street, visiting the quill shop, getting new robes, and buying her potion supplies. Rose also picks up some new owl treats for Aya and some new parchment. "Flourish and Blotts?" Rose asks.

Her mother nods and they turn the bend, and head for the crowded bookshop on the corner. "What's all this?" her mother asks.

"Gilderoy Lockhart," a middle aged witch says, "He's doing a signing for his new autobiography, Magical Me."

"Ooh, Mum!" Rose exclaims, "Can we buy a copy?"

"Well," her mother considers, "Alright. We'll need to share it of course."

Rose's mother always had a fondness for Lockhart, and she was counted among his many admirers. "I'll stand in line," her mother says, grabbing a copy off the stack by the front door, "You go get the books you need and meet me back here."

Rose squeezes past a particularly large witch and forges her way up to the deserted second floor. "Standard Book of Spells," she runs her fingers along the spines, "Where are you? Grade one…" she trails off, "Aha! Grade Two!"

She plucks one off the shelf and tucks it into her shopping bag, turns, and heads down the next aisle to find L for Lockhart.

"Hey!" she exclaims as someone brushes past her hard.

"Out of my way!" the familiar blonde bully, Draco Malfoy spits as her flies away from her.

"I hope you fall down those stairs, Malfoy," she says, turning back to the books.

She collects the ones she needs and runs back down the stairs. Her mother grabs her arm, "There he is!" she says as he reveals himself from the back of the shop.

"Make way there. Please! Let me by, madam. Thank you," a small round man with a large man says brushing past them, "Excuse me, little girl. This is for the Daily Prophet."

Lockhart smiles wide and poses for the picture but doing so he spots someone he didn't expect to see, "It can't be- Harry Potter?"

"Harry Potter?" the photographer exclaims, grabbing Harry by the robes and dragging him to the front, "Excuse me madam," he says to Rose's mother as he almost knocks them both over.

"Nice big smile, Harry. Together you and I'll make the front page!" he says as the camera flashes, " Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment this is. When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me,... which, incidentally is currently celebrating its 27th week atop the Daily Prophet bestseller list, he had no idea that he would, in fact, be leaving... with my entire collected works, free of charge."

Many witches gasp and clap as Harry gets the books thrust into his hands. He looks uncomfortable, surprised, and like he'd rather be fighting a dragon than standing there in that moment.

"Now, ladies?" he says, ushering them to come forward to get their books signed.

Many of the women push but the Macguffins hold their ground, meeting him after a few minutes of waiting. "Ah, who should I make it out to?" he says, smiling up at Rose.

"Rose Macguffin," she says, blushing.

"What a beautiful name," he says, inking in his name with scarlet ink and two kisses.

"Thank you," she says, not knowing what else to say, and taking the book.

"To Rose Macguffin, a rose amongst weeds. Love, Gilderoy Lockhart," she reads his print.

She snaps the book closed, sliding it back into her bag, and pays for her remaining books.

She glances to the door and sees Lucius Malfoy engaged in a particularly heated discussion with Harry Potter and many of the Weasley children. Harry looked older, taller, and so did Ron. They had done much growing up over the summer.

She wonders if she should go say hi but she thinks better of it. They weren't really friends plus the Malfoy's were bad news. She didn't want to cause trouble with them if she didn't have to.

* * *

September 1, 1992

Rose waves, her face pressed against the window, saying goodbye to her mother from her empty train compartment. "Rose?" a familiar voice asks.

"Poppy!" she exclaims, turning away, standing to hug her.

"I haven't seen you since we visited in July," she says, "Can you believe it?"

One by one Cho, Millie, and Amelia find their way to the compartment, each taking a seat as they discuss their summers. "Rose and I spent a lot of time together," Cho says, "We discovered we really don't live that far away.

"Yeah," Rose says, "My father got sick of making portkeys after a while. He says he can't wait until we can apparate."

Rose had the best summer of her life. She went with Cho to several quidditch games, including the Tornadoes, which is Cho's absolute favourite. She often went to her house for several days at a time and raced around brooms in her yard, even venturing out to the muggle town. Cho had visited her many times as well, delighting in the city sights of Inverness. They had taken the Knight Bus into the city once, much to her parents' dismay. She was twelve years old and growing up fast. It would only be a few short years before she'd be able to do magic out of Hogwarts, even apparate.

Rose saw Poppy and Amelia once, in July, when they arranged to meet in Glasgow for a week. They often exchanged letters and always kept in touch. Though, not all of her friends did. Marietta wrote her once, but only in a reply. Her distaste for Cho's friend was only growing. She didn't even join them in the compartment on the way to school.

A knock, three hours into the ride interrupts their conversation. Rose reaches and slides the door open to reveal a small, red haired girl, lines of worry formed on her forehead. "Hello," Cho says, "Are you alright?"

"I can't find my brother," the young girl says.

"It's alright, come sit," Poppy says, patting the empty spot next to her.

"What's your name?" she asks as the girl sits down.

"My name's Ginny, Ginny Weasley," she says.

"I think I saw you at Flourish and Blotts," Rose says, "Last week."

Ginny's eye twitches with anger as she remembers. "I'm going from compartment to compartment because I can't find my brother."

"Which one?" Amelia asks.

"Ron," she says, "He's not on the train."

"I've been to every compartment," she says.

"That doesn't mean he's not on the train," Rose says, "He could be in the bathroom or something."

"No, I don't think so," Ginny says, "He told me he'd come check on me after he got settled in with Harry. I can't find him either."

"Now that's strange," Millie says, "They must be together."

"Have you spoken with Percy?" Cho asks.

"Not yet, I didn't want to get Ron into trouble," she says.

"I think it's time you've told him," Amelia says, "Come on, I'll go with you."

Amelia and Millie leave to take Ginny to find her older brother.

"How many Weasleys are there?" Poppy groans, "I swear there must be a hundred of them by now."

"I think she's the last one," Cho says, "Can you imagine being the only girl?"

"Fred and George must torture her," Rose laughs, "Their mother has a handful."

Several minutes later Amelia and Millie return, frowning, to the compartment. "I really don't like that Percy Weasley," Millie says.

"Who does he think he is?" Amelia groans, "It's not our fault his brother's missing."

"What happened?" Cho asks.

"He got angry at Ginny for not coming to him first but she wouldn't have it," Millie says, "So he told her that he'd send a letter to their mum if she didn't start behaving responsibly."

"So that's where we stepped in," Amelia says, "We told him he was being a prat and he needed to stay out of his sister's business. After all, the first time on the train is always scary."

"I can't really blame her for not running to him now that I've met him," she adds, "Prefect or not he's a git."

The girls slowly begin to forget about the Weasley and retain some level of normalcy in the coming hour. The trolley came and went and each of the girls had a feast of food. "I'm going to get so fat eating all this candy," Poppy says.

"Not with all those stairs we have to run down," Amelia says laughing, "Is that why they feed us so much? Because they make us run around like pygmy puffs in a maze,"

The girls laugh and enjoy some much needed time together before the countryside turns into the village of Hogsmeade and the train comes to a screeching halt at the station. Rose carrie's Aya's cage to the side of the tracks and the train attendant raises his wand, levitating the cage off to the side with the other animals.

Cho, Rose, Poppy, Millie, and Amelia start up the hill to the carriages. "They really pull themselves?" Rose says, "I thought my father was joking."

"I thought mine were too," Cho says, "The older students were laughing at us staring at the carriages last year."

"Don't stare, don't stare!" Amelia says, turning dramatically away from them.

The girls step up and climb into the large carriages, lining up on the seats, facing eachother, much like they had been sitting like on the train. A Hufflepuff fifth year, Aldrea Dorny climbs in along them along with her friend Wylla Fisher, a fellow Ravenclaw. "Hello," Wylla says, "Mind if we share?"

"Sure," Rose says, "There's plenty of room."

Wylla smiles but says no more, unfolding a book, Secrets of the Acromantula: From Borneo, To Britain, and Beyond. Rose turns back to her friends and says, "I'm glad we don't have to be sorted this year."

"It's much more fun," Cho says, "Without the fussing and nerves."

"What happened during your sorting Cho?" Poppy asks.

"The hat was stuck between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw for a few seconds," Cho says, "But obviously it decided Ravenclaw."

"We should have liked to have you in Hufflepuff," Aldrea says with a smile, "With all those house points you earn."

"Not to mention the quidditch," she adds.

"Speaking of quidditch," Millie asks, "Rose, are you going out for the team this year?"

"I've brought my broom," Rose says shyly, "But I'm not expecting anything."

"Are you kidding?" Amelia says, "Hooper would be mad to not pick you after what happened last year!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he gave you my position!" Cho jokes.

"I don't fancy being a seeker much," Rose says, "Too much pressure."

"Tell me about it," Cho says.

"I've always wanted to be a keeper," Rose says, "So if anything, I'd try for that."

"If it comes to a vote you know you have mine," Cho says, smiling sweetly, "It would be nice to have another girl on the team."

"Thank you, Cho," Rose says, smiling to herself, looking out the window to the glittering candles in the windows of a very familiar castle.

Hogwarts castle was gorgeous by night, no-one could deny it. The girls stare at it in wonder, even the older ones, as the novelty never seemed to wear off. They were home after a long summer at last.

After being ushered through the front door and to the great hall, the students take their seats at their respective tables. Rose is flanked by Poppy and Amelia as she sits. She glances at the nearby Gryffindor table but doesn't see that familiar messy black hair she's looking for. Or the patch of ginger that usually bobs beside it. Come to think of it, the only one she can locate is Hermione Granger, bushy hair bulging out of her hat.

"Look," she whispers to Poppy, pointing at the Gryffindor table, "Ginny was right. Where's Harry and Ron?"

As Poppy turns to look the door flies open and Professor McGonagall bursts through, the Sorting Hat aloft, with a hundred scared first years trailing behind her. She places the hat atop the stool and it begins to sing:

Welcome to Hogwarts, students new and old,

Let me sing you of the wonders to behold,

The hallowed halls of brick and stone,

The greatest halls that I've ever known.

Let me sing you a song of those who made me,

The four greatest wizards that I ever did see,

The wise, the brave, the loyal, the cunning,

Hogwarts together they started running,

Then I was made, a poor simple hat,

With a flick of their wands a quit pat,

I sprang to life, given a chore,

For their magic made simple no more,

I sing tonight of the colors I love,

The colors that shine down us from above,

The four houses each have two,

They belong to each and every one of you...

Scarlet and gold of Gryffindor brave and true,

Shines as brightly as Ravenclaw's bronze and blue,

Slytherins Silver, Green, so cold,

Hufflepuffs yellow and black simple but bold.

So first years approach and put me on,

I'll tell you the colors to which you belong.

The Sorting Hat ends its song and Professor Mcgonagall unfurls her long list of names and begins calling them up one by one. Rose feels bad for them, she knows how scared they must feel. But soon it'd be over and they'd gain some new young Ravenclaws.

"Ginerva Weasley," she calls.

"It's Ginny," Ginny says loudly as she passes her, striding towards the hat.

She hardly places it on her head for a second before the hat sings, "Gryffindor!" and they move on to the next student.

"Luna Lovegood," Professor Mcgonagall says.

"Luna Lovegood?" she repeats.

"Oh! Present!" a dreamy girl with long blonde hair and large earrings says, "I didn't hear you. Must have been the wrackspurts."

A few older students chuckle as she makes her way up to the stool, trainers visible underneath her robes.

"Are those radishes on her ears?" a fifth year boy says, "Bloody hell!"

She sits atop the stool awkwardly, eyes clouded, she hardly seems to notice as Professor Mcgonagall slips the hat onto her head.

"Oh! Very interesting," the Sorting Hat says, "Your mind is unique, young Luna. Though I fear you are often misunderstood."

"Unique? Crazy more like," Amelia spits under her breath.

Millie chuckles at her quip but Rose turns back to the sorting. "No, not Slytherin, definitely not. Hufflepuff? Perhaps not quite right," the hat says, "It all comes down to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw."

"Please no," Millie says, "We don't want the crazy one."

"Shut up," Rose snaps, perhaps a little too loudly, as several students around them turn to look at her.

"Bravery you have in abundance," the hat says, "But wisdom perhaps more. Ravenclaw!"

Polite clapping and a few cheers come from the Ravenclaw, including Rose's, who yelled the loudest for her. She doesn't deserve to be outcasted on her first night. She could hardly believe her friends could act like that. Perhaps she doesn't know them as well as she thinks.

She ponders this as Dumbledore makes his usual speech and the feast starts. She gobbles up her food but hardly speaks to Millie and Amelia, her anger getting the better of her.

By the time the dessert course comes she'd like nothing more than to crawl into her bed and go to sleep. And that she does, promptly after settling in.

"Rose! Rose!" wake up!" Poppy says, hovering over her bed, still dressed in her nightclothes.

"Come to the window!" Poppy says, "Look at the Whomping Willow!"

Rose groans and throws her covers to the side, grabs the candlestick by her bed, and walks to the window next to her bed. "Is that a car?" Rose says in disbelief, "Poppy, there's a car in that tree!"

"I heard the horn as it flew in," Poppy says, "Look, it's all but destroyed."

A large branch punches through the windshield as the car falls from its grips. The doors fly open and two large shadows are thrown out of it. The lights turn on as the car revs its engine, throws out the rest of the contents, and drives away into the forbidden forest. "Who is that?"

A wand lights as the two people stand up. "One of them has red hair, I'm sure of it," Poppy says.

"You don't think it could be Ron Weasley, could you?" Rose asks, "And that one could be Harry!"

"Well, they missed the train, but blimey, driving a car here?" Poppy says, sinking down onto her bed.

"There's someone coming," Rose says, pressing her nose against the glass to see better. "My telescope!" she says, grabbing it, pointing it downwards.

"It's Snape!" Rose says, "And that is them! I can't believe it!"

Rose pushes her telescope to Poppy. She catches them before they disappear into the castle.

"What in the name of Merlin were they thinking?" Rose asks.

"That's Ron and Harry I suppose," Poppy says, "Thinking isn't really their thing."

"No wonder they're not in Ravenclaw," Rose laughs, trying not to wake the others.

Rose could hardly fall asleep that night, thinking of what they had just witnessed. This year at Hogwarts would be unlike any other, that much is certain already.

* * *

September 2nd, 1992

"Ugh," Amelia groans, taking a seat next to Rose at the Ravenclaw table for breakfast, "We've got double potions after lunch."

Rose looks up from her book, Gilderoy Lockhart's  _Magical Me_ , and says, "But we've got defence against the dark arts this afternoon," she says, gesturing to her book.

"Looks like somebody is hot for teacher," Marietta Edgecombe says as she takes a seat next to Cho.

"I am not!" Rose snaps, "I admire his courage and bravery. He's a very gifted wizard."

"Not to mention a fellow Ravenclaw," she adds.

"Stand down, Rose," Ellis says as he passes by, "Save your fire for the pitch next Friday."

"So you did decide to try out?" Cho asks, smiling.

"I talked to Ellis this morning," Rose says, blushing, "He says he's not posted the flyer for tryouts yet but they'll take place on the 11th."

"Ooh!" Wil says, leaning away from her older friends, "We'll all come cheer you on!"

"Oh, no!" Rose says shyly, "Don't do that!"

"I'll be there anyway," Cho says, "We have to try out every year."

"It's more fair that way," she adds, though her lip twitches with nervousness.

"You're not going out for seeker are you?" Marietta asks pointedly.

"Keeper," Rose says, "Why would I want to try to steal Cho's position. What kind of friend would I be if I did that?"

"Just checking," she says, "You never know."

"What's your problem?" Rose asks, temper getting the better of her, "You don't even like quidditch!"

Marietta opens her mouth to give her retort but is interrupted, " RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR!" erupts from the Gryffindor table.

Ron Weasley's cheeks are almost as red as his hair. A red howler floats poised in front of his face, screaming, " I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!"

The howler turns to his younger sister Ginny and says, "Oh, and Ginny, dear, congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud!"

The howler blows a raspberry before tearing itself up, falling to pieces in shocked Ronald Weasley's lap. "Merlin's pants," Amelia says, "That was hilarious."

"Not really," Poppy says, "We saw them when they crash landed on the Whomping Willow. They nearly died!"

"You can better bet that Harry Potter was involved," Marietta says, rolling her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose asks, "You know Marietta, I'm getting tired of your bad attitude. Neither of those two boys have done anything to you."

"You're just bitter because their more well liked than you," Rose finishes, "You're petty and jealous and a poor excuse for a friend."

Rose slams her book, grabs a piece of toast, and flies out of the great hall, leaving Marietta awestruck and teary-eyed. It was a long time coming and Rose didn't feel bad in the slightest.

Rose went to her classes that day without seeing Marietta even once. She was a third year and in none of her classes but she often ran into her in the halls. Perhaps she was a bit harsh but she truly felt something needed to be said. Over the summer she has become bolder and she likes it.

Rose strides into the defence against the dark arts classroom and takes a seat besides Poppy. "That was quite the row you had at breakfast," she says, "Marietta's broken up about it."

"Oh boo-hoo," Rose says, balling up her fists by her eyes, fake crying, "I can only bite my tongue for so long."

"No, Rose, she was broken up that you felt that way about her," she says, "She considers you a close friend and she says she feels bad about giving you a hard time."

"It's her nature to be a bit abrasive," she adds.

"How long can she use her nature as an excuse to be blatantly rude to people?" Rose asks.

"Look," Poppy starts, sighing, "Just make up and put it behind you. You're not the type to hold grudges."

"Right," Rose says, "But I'd sooner kiss a Hippogriff than make up with her today. Maybe tomorrow I'll feel different."

"If I talk to her today we're just going to have another row and it won't do either of us any good," Rose adds, "Give me some time to calm down."

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger walk into the room, taking the seats in front of them. Several other Gryffindors and Slytherins file in, including Draco Malfoy and his two witless cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.

He groans as he takes his seat, glancing around the room at a target to attack. "Ah, Potter," he starts, "I thought I smelled your foul scent when I walked in here."

"The only one foul here is you, Malfoy," Rose spits, blood still boiling with anger from the morning, "With a face that weasel-y I'm surprised you don't already know."

"Rose," Poppy breathes, but it's too late the damage has been done.

"How dare you speak to me?" Draco starts.

"How dare I speak to you?" Rose laughs, "You speak so often Malfoy, I swear you love to hear the sound of your own voice."

The rest of the class 'ooh' as she starts in on him, "You know, Draco, you speak so much, all the time, but you say so little," she pauses to breathe, "You talk all the time about your family and your money and your status but the filth you speak makes you nothing. It makes you insignificant. You're a pale, blond, piched-faced arse-hole that has nothing better to do than bully people because the only two people who like you are afraid of you."

"Macguffin!" Seamus cheers, "I didn't know you had it in you."

Draco motions for his wand but Rose stops him, "So help me god if you pull out your wand I will jinx you so hard you won't know what hit you," she pauses to breathe, "In case you haven't noticed I'm in a temper. You've picked the wrong day."

Draco wrinkles his nose and turns away from her, muttering. Rose straightens herself up and tries to ignore the whispering around her. "Bloody hell, Rose," Poppy says, laughing and snorting, "I can't believe you."

Harry and Ron turn to Rose, leaning back on their chairs. Harry lays his arm across Magical Me as he says, "You didn't have to do that, honestly," he pauses, "You'll just make life harder for yourself."

"Malfoy's family is important at the ministry," Ron says, "Malfoy's not one to start big trouble with."

"I think I can handle him," Rose says, chancing a glance, though he wasn't looking at her.

As she comes down from her rage slowly she comes to realize that Harry is inches from her, paying attention to her. "Listen, Rose, if he bothers you again tell us," Harry says.

"Tell us so we can watch you jinx him!" Ron says.

Hermione elbows him in the chest and Harry says, "He's a prat and he's always going to be. Try to stay away from him. But if you need my help, come find me."

"Thank you," Rose says, smiling.

Harry returns that smile and turns away from her, towards the front of the room as the class begins. Professor Lockhart throws open the door and the class erupts into applause, including the many dozen paintings of him on the wall. His robes sway as he climbs down the staircase beaming, "Let me introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... me! Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-times winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award- but I don't talk about that," he says, feigning modesty, "I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at him. Ha ha ha... hee, hee…"

Ron groans but it's lost to anyone but Rose, as all the other girls around her were mesmerised. It's true, Rose does quite like him too, and hangs on his every word.

He dismounts the last step and sidles over to a large rounded cage, a blue cloth hiding the contents. The cage begins to shake and bulge. The class gasps as he says, "Now- be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind. You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here."

" I must ask you not to scream," he adds, taking hold of the cloth and ripping it away, "It might... provoke them!"

"Cornish pixies?" Seamus Finnigan says, laughing.

"Freshly caught Cornish pixies!" Lockhart corrects him.

Seamus laughs even harder than before. "Laugh if you will, Mr. Finnigan, but pixies can be

devilish tricky little blighters," Lockhart says as he puts his hand on the latch," Let's see what you make of them, ha! Come on now- round them up, round them up, they're only pixies!"

Dozens of blue pixies flood out of the cage and begin their attack. They aren't deadly or particularly dangerous but they're tricky, and the shear number of them is a force to be reckoned with.

"Ow!" Rose says, as a pixie thumps her on the nose.

"That one's mine!" she says, angrily chasing it with her textbook.

She swings and hits it, causing it to fall to the floor, knocked unconscious. "Ha!" she says, turning away to enter the fray.

"Rose! Help!" Poppy says, the pixie pulling at her tie.

Rose swings and misses, yet still causes the pixie to release her tie. "What the bloody hell is Lockhart thinking!" she bellows, "This is rubbish!"

The two girls look up as a pixie uses a stolen wand to cause a dinosaur skeleton to fall to the floor. The bone dusts hits them in a powdery mist. "Scourgify!" Rose says, pointing her wand at her robes.

The dust falls off her to the floor. "How did you do that?" Poppy asks.

"Scourgify!" Rose says, pointing at her too.

"Thanks," Poppy says, turning away from her to smack two pixies with a book.

Rose looks up to see Neville Longbottom being dragged to their ceiling, dropped onto the candelabra. Rose points her wand to help him but thinks better of it. If she misses or says the spell wrong, she could seriously hurt him.

"Peskipiksi pesternomi!" Lockhart says, to no avail.

Realizing his spell has had no effect, he flies up the stairs and says, "I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage!"

"What do we do now?" Ron bellows after him, but the door slams shut.

Hermione sighs, pointing her wand in the air and says, "Immobulus!"

The pixies freeze where they are and float aimlessly through the air. Rose's eyes turn to Neville, who says, "Why is it always me?"

"Think we can levitate him down?" Hermione says.

Rose turns to her and says, "Together?"

Hermione nods and the two of them levitate him down to the ground safely. He brushes off his robes and says, "Thanks."

"How do we get them back into the cage?" Malfoy says, disgusted at the creatures.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Rose says, pointing at a pack of petrified pixies, casting them into the cage.

Her spell echoes around the room as several other students take her lead. Ten minutes later the pixies are back in their cage and the room in a general state of chaos.

Hermione climbs the stair to his office, "Professor, they're all cleaned up."

"Professor?" she says but he doesn't answer.

"Alohamora!" she says, pointing at the lock.

She throws the door open and groans as the other students crowd around her. "What?" he says, looking up from his hand mirror, fixing his hair.

"Oh is it done?" he asks, sitting up.

He strides to the door and surveys the destruction of the room, "Ah, best call Mr. Filch straight away."

He turns to leave but Hermione stops him. "But sir," she says, "You've got half the class left."

"Read chapter one of Break with a Banshee and have one roll of parchment on my desk by tomorrow," he says.

"What on?" Heidi Clineswell, a Slytherin girl asks.

"Well, me of course!" he says beaming, "Good day!"

He closes the door, leaving Rose and the other students utterly bewildered. "I don't know about him," Seamus says shaking his head, "He's barking."

"Don't write that in your essay," Hermione teases, "He's a bit eccentric but he's a brilliant wizard."

"Yeah, real brilliant, Hermione," Ron says, "And brave too. Did you see how he ran away like that after his spell didn't work?"

"Oh shut up, Ron," Hermione says.

Harry sighs and follows them back to the desks. Rose, Poppy, and the other students slowly collect their belongings, some searching for a half an hour for their stolen possessions.

"They broke my quill," Poppy says, brandishing a scarlet-feathered quill, snapped in half.

"My ink bottle got smashed," Rose says sighing, "Let me know what else you need and I'll send Aya to my mother."

* * *

September 11th, 1992

Rose's hand tightens as she grabs her broom from the locker room. She ties her long red hair into a bun on the back of her head and looks in the small rust-spotted mirror. "You'll do fine," Cho says, her black hair filling half of the mirror behind her.

"Don't do me any favors," Rose says, "If I'm going to make the team, it's going to be of my own accord."

"I'm not a cheater," Cho says, "I wouldn't dream of it."

Cho claps her hand on Rose's shoulder. "I'll be there in a minute," Rose says.

She puts on a brave face and strides out of the room, headed for the pitch. She glances up at the stands, filled with students not just of Ravenclaw but of other houses as well. She smiles as she sees Poppy, Amelia, Millie, and Wil holding their enormous 'Go Rose!' banner.

"I've got this," she whispers to herself as she walks out onto the pitch.

"As I'm sure all of you know, we've lost our keeper and one beater this year and those positions are empty," Ellis says, "However we're Ravenclaws and we're going to do this fairly. So we'll be holding re-trails for all of the positions."

"When you hear the position you came to audition for please step forward," Ellis says, "Each of you will go through a two part test. Whoever does best will fill that position."

"Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch have kindly agreed to judge you," Ellis says, "We'll be doing the beaters first. All those wishing to try out to be a beater please step forward."

Four boys step forward to audition. They each go through a rigorous physical test, bludgers and all, during which they had to aim at enchanted rivals made by Professor Flitwick. They then were drilled on knowledge of the game, five questions each. "Duncan Inglebee and Jason Samuels have fared the best, according to our judges. Congratulations, you have made the Ravenclaw team!"

The crowd roars, short of the Slytherins, who collectively boo. Rose spots Draco Malfoy's pinched face in the crowd and turns away. She semi-regretted her fight with Draco. Ever since he's tried to make her life a living hell. Professor Snape treats her especially bad and somehow she knows Draco is the cause of it. Not to mention, Draco had retaliated several times, compromising her potions twice and by targeting Poppy, calling her a Mudblood. She'd never apologize to him now. That is unforgivable.

What was forgivable, though, was the argument between Marietta and Rose. They patched things up quickly but the resentment still stands. Regardless of the niceties the two girls maintain for the sake of their mutual friends, one thing's for certain, they'd never be very close again.

"Will those wishing to try out for seeker please come forward?" Ellis says.

Cho steps forward but nobody challenges her. "Congratulations, Cho, you are the seeker for-"

"I still want to try out," Cho says, "It doesn't feel right."

So Cho does, she tries out, and passes their tests with flying colors, a true Ravenclaw.

"Chasers, step forward," Ellis says, "Ravenclaw will be looking for three."

Ellis joins the line of seven people as they each take turns trying to score goals. Ellis comes out on top, along with 4th year Roger Davies, and Randolph Burrow.

"Well done, well done," Ellis says, "Chambers and Bradley will be alternates."

"And all that's left is the keepers," Ellis says, eyes flashing to Rose momentarily.

She looks around her, noticing there's many people left. She counts, including herself, ten wishing to try out. "One by one you will mount your brooms and our new chasers, including myself, will send five quaffles at you. Whoever defends the most will move on to take the second half of the test. Clear?"

Her fellow Ravenclaws nod their heads, some looking more nervous than others. Out of ten people only one will be chosen, and Rose doesn't like her odds.

Three hopefully defend the goal posts before her. One boy, Grant Page looked like he'd be the one to beat, saving all five would-be goals. "Macguffin," Ellis says, ushering her upward.

She kicks off the ground hard and positions herself in front of the three hoops. "You stink, Macguffin!" Draco Malfoy bellows beside her.

Out of the corner of her eye she sees Wil mouthing silencio, wand aloft. The Slytherins are promptly struck with silence, her spell winning out. "Kill it, Rose!" Amelia bellows.

"Ready?" Ellis calls from across the pitch.

Rose nods and Madam Hooch blows her whistle. And then they're off, Roger and Randolph passing the quaffle, tossing it to Ellis to take the shot. She flies on her comet and kicks it away effortlessly. The quaffle soars towards her again, she dives, she makes the save with her fingertips. The crowd roars. Three to go.

Randolph send the ball towards her, spinning, jerking to the left-most post at the last second. She saves it with her head, catching the quaffle, sending it back to Roger. Rose makes the next save easily, as Roger sends it almost straight into her chest. "Sorry," Roger says, as Ellis glares at him. Regardless of it was purposeful or not, Roger gave her an easy save.

Ellis takes the quaffle from him and she sees in his eyes what he's about to do. He wont let her off as easy, regardless of his fondness for her. She knew what she'd have to do. She snaps back and forth, round the hoops like a knot, doing a perfect Double Eight Loop as she makes the save. The Ravenclaws roar, she's tied with Grant.

The remaining three hopefuls try their hardest but none do better than Rose or Grant. It would come down to the knowledge test.

"Rose, what is the name of the foul that occurs when a Keeper tries to defend the goal from the back?" Flitwick asks.

"A flacking foul," Rose says, "Easy one."

"Mr. Page, in which year was the decision made to change the color of the quaffle to red?" Madam Hooch asks.

"1711," he says haughtily.

Rose wants to beat him more than anything. Four more questions each are asked and they get them all, remaining neck and neck, forcing the judges to come up with an alternative way of deciding.

"Whoever answers this question first will be the keeper for Ravenclaw house," Ellis says, taking the piece of parchment from Professor Flitwick, "You get one chance and once chance only. Listen carefully."

"What is the maneuver called when a Keeper hangs by one hand and one foot from his or her broom, extending the other hand and foot as far out as possible in order to cover the three goalposts?"

"star-and-stick" Grant says so rapidly that Rose barely has time to comprehend the question.

Rose hangs her head in defeat. "I'm sorry that is incorrect," Ellis says.

"What?" Rose says, "Starfish and Stick's right, isn't it?"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the new Ravenclaw house Keeper, Miss Rose Macguffin!" he bellows.

The crowd roars, including her friends, who scream so hard their forces get hoarse. "He said star and stick," Ellis whispers, "Not starfish."

He smiles as he holds her arm up, beckoning the other team members to join them. Those in the stands both start heading up to the castle and flood onto the field.

Poppy jumps on Rose, almost knocking her down, congratulating her. Rose is surprised to see Marietta, who had also come to congratulate her, despite her distaste for quidditch.

Cho throws her arm around her and says, "It'll be great to have another girl on the team," she says, "All these boys drive me crazy."

"I don't know, Cho," Wil starts, grinning, "I saw Roger Davies staring at your butt earlier."

"Wilhemina, please," Cho laughs, teasing her, "The last boy I want looking at my butt is him."

"Hey, you two, we're going to go change and head up to the common room," Ellis says, "To celebrate."

Rose smiles and nods, feeling the happiest she's felt in a very long time.

* * *

October 31st, 1992

"I've got to catch up on my homework," Rose groans, "All of these extra quidditch practices are murder."

"I know what you mean," Cho says, "It's no different in my year and from what Wil's told me, it only gets harder."

Rose and Cho fly out of the great hall, up the steps to the first floor, intent open a long night of studying. "Why's the floor all wet?" Cho asks.

"I don't know," Rose says, "I think it's coming from the bathroom?"

"Nobody ever goes in there," Cho says, "I don't know what it'd be flooded."

"What's that?" Rose points down the hall, their steps quickening as they spot a crowd of people forming.

As they approach the crowd, Hermione Granger reads aloud, " _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened... enemies the heir... beware,"_ she gasps, adding, "It's written in blood."

"Oh, no... It's Filch's cat. It's Mrs. Norris," Harry Potter whispers to Ron beside him.

Cho gasps and her mouth falls open, "Who would do this?" she asks.

"I don't know," Rose answers, "I've never seen anyone do anything of the like. It's barbaric."

"Oh!" Madam Pomfrey exclaims, rushing through the students to get to the front.

" _Enemies of the heir beware_!" Draco reads excitedly, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

"What's going on 'ere? Go on, make way, make way. Potter- What are you…" Mr. Filch says, trailing off, seeing his cat and the blood upon the wall, "Mrs. Norris? You've...murdered my cat!"

"No, no!" Harry protests.

"I'll kill ya!" Filch exclaims starting for him, "I'll kill ya!"

"Argus! Argus, I…" Dumbledore starts, stopping himself as he sees the bloody message, "Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately. Everyone except... you three."

Dumbledore gestures with a flourish to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Ravenclaws, follow me," Ellis says, taking Rose by the arm and leading her and Cho away.

"Enemies of the heir beware?" Rose says to herself, "What's that supposed to mean."

"Heir of Slytherin," Ellis says out of the side of his mouth.

"No, no, must be just a prank, a hoax," Rose says, "The heir of Slytherin...then that will mean-"

"Someone is going to open the Chamber of Secrets again," Ellis says.

"Again?" Rose asks.

"Again," he says as they climb the steps back to the common room.

What did he mean by that?

* * *

November 3rd, 1992

The school is buzzing about the bloody message left on the wall on Halloween, it's just about all the school can talk about. The Ravenclaws had been excitedly trading their knowledge on the chamber all weekend but were largely coming up empty. Rose had known there might be a secret chamber in the school that Slytherin had built but she didn't know it had been opened before. When she tried to ask Ellis about it he brushed it off, changing the subject twice. He told her that he overheard his father talking about it once when his older brother was in school. He told her she didn't want to know.

Rose and Poppy sit excitedly in Transfiguration class, eager to practice a new spell they'd been working on. "I understand the theory but I'm quite nervous," Poppy says, staring at the rat in front of her.

"Why'd I have to get the rat?" she asks, admiring Rose's small bird.

Professor McGonagall slips quietly from her office and into the classroom. "Could I have your attention, please?" she asks, "Right. Now, today, we will be transforming animals into water goblets. Like so. One, two, three,  _Vera verto_."

The bird on her desk transforms into a beautiful water goblet effortlessly. "Now it's your turn. Well, who would like to go first?" she asks, "Ah! Mr. Weasley. "One, two, three.  _Vera verto_."

Ron clears his throat and points his wand, bound in spello-tape, at Scabbers, his rat, and says, "Vera Verto!"

The rat transforms into a rather furry water goblet, complete with tail. "That wand needs replacing, Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall says as the rest of the class laughs, "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about...the Chamber of Secrets?" Hermione asks suddenly.

"Well, very well. Well, you all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now, three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously," she starts, pausing, "One did not."

"Three guesses who," Ron mumbles.

Rose suppresses a laugh as Professor McGonagall goes on, "Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, "pure-bloods." Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school," she says, "Now, according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle, known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though, shortly before departing, he sealed it until that time when his own true heir returned to the school. The heir alone would be able to open the Chamber and unleash the horror within, and by so doing purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic."

"Muggle borns," Hermione says.

Poppy exhales hard. Rose pats her on the shoulder lightly and she nods. It must be hard for her. Rose has no idea how to help her.

"Well, naturally, the school had been searched many times. No such chamber has been found," Professor McGonagall says.

"Professor? What exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber?" Hermione asks nervously.

"Well, the Chamber is said to home to something that only the Heir of Slytherin can control," Professor McGonagall answers, "It is said to be the home of a monster."

"That's enough of that," she adds, "I've probably told you too much already. Now remember, One, two, three,  _Vera Verto."_

Poppy waves her wand over her rat and turns it into a goblet. "Yuck!" she exclaims, "It's still got  _eyes_."

"Vera Verto," Rose says clearly, pointing her wand at her bird.

"Very nice, Miss Macguffin," Professor McGonagall says admiring her work before turning to Poppy, "Perhaps you can help Miss Tippet."

Poppy shrugs and says, "I managed to do it yesterday well enough."

"You're just nervous," Rose says, "Look, your hands are shaking."

"Nobody has any idea how scared I am right now," Poppy whispers, "If the heir of Slytherin has returned then they'll surely come after muggle-borns."

"Rose, they're going to start killing people like me," she adds, barely audibly.

"Not if I can help it," Rose says, pointing her wand at Poppy's still blinking goblet.

The eyes disappear. "Better," Professor McGonagall says, turning around to examine 'her work'.

"Thanks," Poppy says as McGonagall strides away.

"Don't mention it," Rose says with a slight smile, "I've got your back."

* * *

November 7th, 1992

"It's high time we check out the competition," Ellis says as he walks with Cho and Rose down to the pitch, eager to see the highly anticipated Gryffindor/Slytherin match.

Rose snorts and says, "Potter, yes, but Malfoy bought his way in," she pauses, "He couldn't fly his way out of a paper bag."

"True," Ellis says with a laugh, "But everyone knows that Slytherins are cheats. It'll give us a good look at what's in store for us this season."

"I can't believe we're playing Hufflepuff next weekend," Rose says, "It feels like just yesterday I made the team."

"Oh, Hufflepuff, we'll crush them," Ellis says, climbing the steps, the bitter November cold stifled for a moment in the enclosed stairwell, "Bellius Misty's an idiot. And from what I've heard they have a lot of newcomers this year."

"No offense," he adds to Rose, "You're actually good."

"Thanks," she says, "I think."

Rose and Cho take a seat in the stands with the other members of the Ravenclaw team. They would have come down anyway but Ellis insisted the come and sit together, taking notes and making strategies. "Here they come," he says after a few moments, "I'd kill for one of those Nimbus 2001's."

Rose shrugs and says, "They can keep their flashy brooms. We'll just win of our own skill. I don't need a fancy broom to make me better, thanks."

"I suppose you're right, Rosie," he says, clapping a large hand on her shoulder, "What's the Slytherin team worth without their brooms?"

"Not much more than hippogriff shi-"

"Thank you Wilhemina!" Ellis says, cutting off her expletive.

She grins, sitting three rows above them. The Ravenclaws laugh a moment, waiting for the game to start. "And so it begins," Rose says, pulling out her parchment pad and a self-writing quill.

"Another goal for Slytherin! They lead Gryffindor ninety to thirty!" Lee Jordan bellows semi-angrily into the microphone twenty minutes into the game.

"Maybe they're better than we thought," Cho sighs, "We've got a lot of work to do."

"What's that?" a first year girl screams in front of them, "Something's wrong with Harry Potter!"

"Not again," Rose sighs, leaning forward to see.

"It's a rogue bludger!" Ellis exclaims, "Those bloody Slytherins. I swear they'll wish they'd never signed up to play quidditch when we go up against them!"

Cho looks through her binoculars to get a better look at the trouble. "I don't think it's the Slytherins," she says quietly, "They look as shocked as we do."

Even Lee Jordan forgets to commentate as Harry Potter flies the length of the pitch, the bludger following his every move. "He has the worst luck," Cho says.

"I don't think it's luck, Cho," Rose says, "Someone's trying to kill him again!"

"You, you don't think it's You-Know-Who again, do you?" Cho asks nervously.

"I don't think so," Rose says, "But this heir of Slytherin could be a pretty good guess."

 _Bam!_ The bludger blows through the pitch below, snapping the beams that hold up the stands where the Ravenclaw team sits. The seats sway for a second and settle, leaving the Ravenclaws to hang on. "Harry Potter has spotted the snitch but Draco Malfoy is right behind him. And so's that bludger. I'll bet the Ravenclaws aren't too happy right now," Lee Jordan commentates.

"Ouch!" Lee Jordan exclaims as a bludger collides with Harry's right arm, "That's got to hurt!"

"What's this?" he adds, "Harry Potter has caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins!"

"But perhaps it's too early to celebrate, Harry Potter is still being pursued by a relentless bludger," Lee says, "Someone help him."

Several people rush out from the stands, to where Harry sits on the ground, knocked off his broom. Hermione Granger's distinctive hair gives her away as she points her wand into the air, causing the bludger to blow to pieces. "Let's go see if he's alright," Ellis says as they fly down the stairs to the ground level.

"Not to worry, Harry. I will fix that arm of yours straight away," Professor Lockhart says as they reach the crowd forming around him.

"No, not you," Harry says wisely.

"Oh, poor boy doesn't know what he's saying," Lockhart says, "Now, this... won't hurt a bit.  _Brackium emendo_!"

Harry's arm flops down, bonelessly. "Ah, yes, ha! Well that can sometimes happen, um, but- uh... the point is, uh…" Lockhart trails off as Harry bends his entire hand backwards, "You can no longer feel any pain, and heh- very clearly, the bones aren't broken."

"Broken!" Hagrid exclaims, towering over the crowd, "There's no bones left!"

"Yuck!" a third year Hufflepuff squeeks.

"Much more flexible, though," Lockhart says.

Hermione Granger shoots him daggers and he stops trying to defend his spellwork. "It's hard to believe he fought all that evil and did all those great deeds in those horribly expensive books we had to buy," Cho says.

"I was just thinking that," Rose says, as they head back to the common room, "It's almost as if they're not even him."

"Poor Harry, though," Cho says, "Like he needs more trouble."

"Who do you think set the bludger after him?" Rose asks, "My money's on the heir or whatever they call themself."

"If a tree falls in the Forbidden Forest and no one was there to hear it, does it make a sound?" the eagle knocker asks.

"Just because we don't hear them, it doesn't mean they don't exist," Rose reasons, "If a tree falls and there's noone around to hear it, the vibrations won't be converted into sound. It makes no noise."

"Well reasoned!" it says, swinging open the door.

"I'm tired," Rose says, "And I've got some homework to do. I think I'm going to have a rest and then go to the library."

"I could stand to relax too," Cho says, "That match was just awful."

"I'll meet you there in an hour," she adds, "Maybe we can go over that Lockhart essay we both have to write."

"I can't believe he's so lazy that he's set us the same essay," Rose groans, "I hope he doesn't last much longer."

"Anyway," she says, "See you then."

* * *

November 30th, 1992

A week after Harry's attack it was Rose's turn to play her first Ravenclaw quidditch game of the season. The game went well, they played Hufflepuff after all. Cho caught the snitch about thirty minutes into the game and they won no contest. Rose saved nine out of ten goals that sailed at her. All was well.

What wasn't well was everything else. The school has been buzzing with rumor since Harry was attacked by the bludger. That very same night a young Gryffindor, Colin Creevey was the first to be petrified by the monster in the chamber. Since then the students of Hogwarts school have been in a temper, terrified that they'd be next. Rose worries, if not for herself, for Poppy, for Rose is pure-blood. Since Slytherin favored pure-bloods she assumed she'd be safe. Though after some careful consideration she comes to realize that Harry Potter was half-bood and he was attacked. No-one is safe anymore.

Since then Professor Lockhart has decided to start up a Duelling Club, in order to arm the students against potential attackers.

"I don't want to go," Rose sighs as Poppy drags her to the great hall.

"If I'm in danger I want to be prepared," she says, "We need to learn how to duel before it's too late."

"Gather round! Gather round. Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent. In light of the dark events of recent weeks...Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this Dueling Club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions," Lockhart says, sashaying the length of the hall in his fussy robes, "For full details, see my published works."

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He has sportingly agreed to help with a short demonstration," he adds, "I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him. Never fear. One. Two. Three!"

"Expelliarmus!" Snape hisses, blowing Lockhart backwards.

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious- ah- what you were about to do. And if I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy," Lockhart says brushing himself off and standing up.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor," Snape says snakely.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape! Ah... Let's have a volunteer pair!" Lockhart says.

"If it's us I'll kill you," Rose teases, whispering to Poppy.

"Um, Potter, Weasley, how about you?" Lockhart says, pointing to Harry a few yards away.

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox," Snape says, "Might I suggest someone from my own house? Malfoy, perhaps?"

He gestures for Potter and Malfoy to step up onto their platform. "Goodluck, Potter," Lockhart says, slapping him gingerly on the back.

"Thank you, Sir," Harry answers, turning now to Draco.

Draco's eyes narrow as they face each other. "Wands at the ready," Lockhart says, "On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent- only to disarm. We don't want any accidents here. One, two-"

"Everte statum!" Draco interrupts, causing Harry to fly backwards.

"Rictumsempra!" Harry retorts, knocking Malfoy backwards as well.

"I thought they were meant to only disarm," Poppy says, "They could seriously hurt one another."

"I'm not sure I really care if Harry hurts Malfoy," Rose says.

"What if it was the other way around?" Poppy says.

Rose blushes and doesn't say anything. "You like him don't you?" Poppy asks, "That's why you're bludger red everytime we talk about him."

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart warns the two boys.

"Serpensortia!" Draco says, a snake bursting out of his wand tip.

It falls with a heavy thud to the floor between them, raising its great head, ready to strike. "Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it for you," Snape says, brushing past Malfoy.

"Allow me, Professor Snape," Lockhart says, pulling out his wand, "Alarte ascendare!"

The snake soars high into the air. Rose and Poppy step back and to the side, nearly knocking over Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff boy from their year. "Sorry, Justin," Rose says, "I didn't mean to step on your foot."

"Oh, it's alright, Rose," he says, turning back to the snake.

The snake turns upon landing, slithering forward, studying Justin. Poppy squeezes Rose's hand as they decide whether they should run or stay very still. "Sya- hassa- she. Sya- hasi- heth. Sya- hasi- heth," Harry hisses.

Justin's eyes widen as the snake makes to strike. "Vipera Evenesca," Snape says, disintegrating the snake.

"What are you playing at?" Justin says, terrified.

The students begin to exit the hall in large numbers but Rose and Poppy are frozen to the spot. "Wh-what was that about?" Poppy asks, "That hissing what was Harry doing."

"I didn't know he was a Parselmouth," Rose says, plucking up the courage to lead Poppy out of the hall, past Harry and the others.

"What does that mean?" she asks.

"He can speak to snakes," Rose answers.

"Why would he try to set that snake on Justin for?" Poppy says, "If anyone, he should have set it on Malfoy."

"Poppy, this isn't good," Rose starts, "Slytherin could talk to snakes. Not very many wizards can do it. None that I know."

"So?" Poppy says, confused as they reach the spiral staircase to the common room.

"So?" Rose repeats, "Slytherin's heir can talk to snakes. All the attacks, Poppy. Think about it."

"You honestly think Harry Potter is Slytherin's heir," she says, climbing the first stairs, "Five minutes ago you were blushing about him."

"I'm not saying that," Rose says, "But I wouldn't count it out completely."

"Rubbish," Poppy says, "If anyone's Slytherin's heir it's Malfoy."

"I thought so too but now I'm not sure," Rose says as they reach the landing, "All I'm sure of now is that this changes everything."

* * *

December 18th, 1992

Much had changed for the students of Hogwarts since the duelling club. Much doubt was casted upon Harry Potter and he was shunned from most anyone. Rose was kind to him but fearful. She really didn't know him well and he scared her. Poppy was always on edge around the Slytherins and any known muggleborn haters. She had a hard time keeping up with her studies, even breaking down once in Transfiguration. Rose gave her sweets out in the hall to make her feel better but it was just a small bandage on a gaping wound, it might make it feel better but it doesn't fix the problem.

Rose was miserable as the next quidditch match against Slytherin had been cancelled due to the increased amount of students being petrified. Justin Finch-Fletchley was among them and it scared her. Would Poppy be next? Or another one of her friends? She was almost glad when Christmastime came around.

She's going home today and she'd like nothing more. She drags her trunk behind her as she sits at the Ravenclaw table one last time before going back to Inverness. She sighs as she sips her hot cocoa. "Are you sure you don't want to come home with me?" Rose asks.

"I'll be alright with my parents," Poppy says, "I'm no safer with you or anyone else. Besides whatever's behind the attacks surely can't follow me out of the school."

"I wonder what's been doing this," Cho says, "It doesn't make sense. What petrifies but not kills?"

"It does seem funny that nobody has died?" Amelia asks, "As terrible as it sounds."

"No, I know what you mean, I was thinking about it too," Millie says, "I thought Slytherin wanted to kill muggle-borns. What good does this do if Professor Sprout can just bring them back to life with the mandrakes?"

"I heard it's tricky business working with mandrakes," Cho says, "That the potions are very hard to brew."

"We were caring for them up until everyone started to get petrified. They were horrible," Rose says with a shudder.

"I heard poor Neville Longbottom fainted," Millie says, "It's a pity we don't have herbology with the Gryffindors."

"At least we don't have to be in the greenhouse again until the summertime," Rose says, "The theory classes aren't all that bad. Professor Sprout's kind to us at least."

"Can't say that for Snape," Marietta says, plopping down into a seat besides Cho.

"Thats for sure," Amelia says, "I nearly punched him yesterday over that stupid hair-raising potion."

"Miss Dearborn," Rose imitates Snape, "While your theoretical knowledge of potion-making is satisfactory I must ask why you con-tin-u-ally put the wrong number of rat's tails into your cauldron each class. Or are you simply not able to follow directions?"

"That isn't funny, Miss Macguffin. Twenty points from Ravenclaw," Snape's voice echoes back to her behind her.

She stiffens, terrified, caught impersonating him. A girl laughs and she turns to see Wil. "You gave me a fright," Rose says, laughing, clutching her chest, "I almost got sick!"

"Your impression is better than mine!" she says, leaning on the table by Marietta.

"Look, I've gotta go meet Bobby," she says, "I'll see you all after the holidays."

"Ooh, Bobby!" Rose teases her.

"Shut up!" she says, grinning, "Anyway, you all have a happy Christmas, alright?"

"Happy Christmas," the girls repeat back to her as she drags her trunk out of the hall.

"You should have seen your face, Rose," Millie says.

"Remind me to never do that outside our room," Rose laughs, "My poor heart can't take that again."

"We'll do it tonight," Hermione says as she whips into the hall, Ron and Harry beside her, "Everything's ready."

Rose turns away from them, back to her friends, but glances over to them every few seconds, wondering  _what_ was ready.

The train rolls into the station an hour later, ready to be boarded by the Hogwarts students looking to get away from their exceedingly dangerous school. Rose turn, spying Hagrid dragging a large pine tree from the forest towards the front entrance of the school. Not that many aside from the teachers would enjoy it. Nearly every student is going home this year. Rose can't blame them.

* * *

February 20th, 1993

Rose had a good, quiet Christmas at home in Inverness. She was happy to be home but hungered to be back at Hogwarts and its libraries. Her parents had bought her a broom servicing kit and she was eager to try it out, as Ravenclaw is scheduled to play Slytherin in March.

Cho and her family came on boxing day for a quick visit. They exchanged small gifts, Rose giving Cho a snitch necklace she had found in Diagon alley, Cho giving Rose a beautiful green quill engraved with the Ravenclaw motto. The two girls even endeavored to go into town to use the telephone to call Poppy. It look them several minutes as they weren't used to communicating the muggle way.

After the holidays ended the girls went back to school, and back to full-time studying. Rose found her schoolwork getting harder, short of defense against the dark arts of course, which was getting more tedious. Professor Lockhart had gotten worse than Rose had ever seen him, ignorance or idiocy she couldn't be sure. One thing she was certain of, Lockhart would never get a penny from her again. If she could help it that is. She shuddered to think he'd last more than the one year. Hogwarts school really didn't have much luck with defense the dark arts, did they?

As February blew in it only got the colder. Rose caught a nasty cold that lasted two weeks, despite Madam Pomfrey's remedies. She just couldn't seem to shake it, like the bad feelings she had about Harry Potter. Since Christmas break he and his friends had become more secretive, always whispering in the back of the class, always the first at the scene when there was trouble. Still, she wouldn't admit to Marietta that she shared some of her concerns. Other students had become fearful of him as well and she couldn't blame them after the business with Justin Finch-Fletchley at the duelling club. If one thing was certain, either Harry Potter was a magnet to bad luck or all of his bad luck had turned him into a bad person. Rose couldn't decide which.

Still, there seemed to be those who admired him. For after Lockhart's stunt on Valentine's Day, it was certain had a very fervent admirer. On the fourteenth of February Lockhart had a 'special surprise' for the students of Hogwarts, as he hired a dozen dwarves to dress in gold wings, carry harps, and deliver valentines to student. Much to Rose's horror she received one outside charms class from an anonymous sender. She suspected Draco Malfoy was behind it, as he seemed quite keen on embarrassing her. She didn't feel bad about it, though, as she heard that one of the dwarves had to knock Harry Potter down to deliver his valentine. At least hers didn't go  _that_ far.

So with another week gone by it's finally time for the Gryffindor/Hufflepuff match. Rose is excited to have more quidditch after a very long off-season. "Hey have you seen Poppy?" Rose asks Amelia as she pulls up her winter boots.

"I never saw her," Amelia says, "Never saw her come back last night either. She went to the library and must have gotten back when we were already in bed."

"Well, she likes to get breakfast early," Rose says, "I suppose we shouldn't fuss, it's not as though she'll be sad she's missed quidditch."

"Ready?" Cho knocks once, appearing in the doorframe.

"Yeah," Rose says, throwing her scarf around her neck and putting on her gloves.

"My money's on Gryffindor," Cho says as they wade through the snow towards the pitch, "The Hufflepuffs are so terrified of Harry that I'm surprised they didn't cancel the game."

"What's going on?" Rose asks as several students head away from the pitch, irritated.

"Match has been cancelled," Seamus Finnigan, "Can you believe it?"

"And we got all dressed up," Rose sighs, "Ugh, it's probably for the best. Now you can help me study for my charms again."

"Woo!" Cho says, twirling her finger, feigning excitement.

"Excuse me," a young Ravenclaw boy asks, "Are you Rose Macguffin. You're the only other Ravenclaw I know with red hair. And the other one yelled at me."

"Marietta," Rose laughs.

"I'm sorry what?" the boy asks.

"Her name is Marietta," Rose says, "But I'm Rose. What can I do for you?"

"Professor Flitwick is looking for you," he says, "They say you're to meet them outside the hospital wing straight away."

"What's happened?" she says nervously, quickening her pace.

"I can't say," the boy says, "They didn't tell me anything but that."

"Well thank you...umm.." she starts.

"Richard," he says, "Richard Barnes."

"Thank you Richard," she says, breaking into a run, "Excuse me,"

Cho runs alongside her, skidding on the ice as they come to a stop at the entrance to the school. They fly up the steps, boots wet from the snow, finally reaching the hospital wing. "Professor!" Rose semi-shouts, "Professor, is everything alright?"

"I'd like to say yes but I'd be lying," he says, "Oh good, you've brought Miss Chang. She should be here as well."

"You've got to tell me what's happened," Rose demands.

"I could tell you," he says, reaching up, only able to pat her on the elbow, "But I think you ought to see it, dear."

"Follow me," he says, opening the door.

A boy with red hair and another one with a familiar messy black mop stand by someone's bedside, Harry still in his quidditch robes. She turns to head for them but Flitwick proceeds straight, towards a bed with a closed curtain.

"Professor, who's in there?" she asks as calmly as she can muster.

He waves his wand and the curtains open, revealing Poppy, her eyes glossy, petrified. "No!" Rose exclaims loudly.

"I'm sorry, Rose," Flitwick says, "I know you two were close."

"They found her and Miss Granger by the library," he says, "She was wearing these."

He picks up her smashed reading glasses and hand them to her. "These were hers, yes," Rose says, "She was studying for your test next week."

"I should never had assigned it," he says angrily, "It is such a shame that this is the result of my extra work."

"I don't think that's true," Cho says, "You didn't ask the monster to attack her."

"She's right professor," Rose says, approaching her best friend's bed and grasping her cold hand, "It'd be a better use of our time to find out who did this. To find the heir of Slytherin."

"Your guess is as good as mine," he says, "Thank goodness Professor Sprout is close to having the mandrake potion ready. Miss Tippet will be back in charms before we know it."

"That's if they don't shut Hogwarts down," Professor McGonagall says.

"Shut down Hogwarts?" Rose says, astonished, "They can't do that."

"The headmaster may have no other choice," she says, hanging her head, "The school is obviously not safe anymore."

After a few moments of sitting with Poppy, Cho and Rose rise from her bedside and redraw her curtains. They are of better use at the library, doing research, plotting their revenge. "Your friend, Poppy is it?" Harry says to her on the way out, "They must have been together."

"I'm sorry about Hermione," Rose says, "It was likely that they were both coming back from the library."

"I know what you're thinking," Harry says, "But I've had nothing to do with this. I'm the one trying to stop this."

"I wasn't going to say anything," Rose says.

"I've seen the way everyone looks at me like I'm some sort of monster," he says, "But I would never hurt a friend. I'd never hurt Poppy, or Hermione, or anyone if I could help it."

"Look, Harry, I don't believe the rumors," Rose says, finally making her decision about him, "Please don't think as badly of me as you believe the others think of you."

"I'm sorry," he says, "I didn't mean to-"

"Forget it, Harry," she says, smiling with all she can muster, "I'll see you around."

He nods as Ron comes out the door and they set off towards their common room. "What was that about?" Cho asks.

"It's not Harry, I'm sure of it," Rose says, climbing up the stairs, "He's absolutely terrified."

"I just can't believe Poppy's been petrified," Rose says, tearing up, "What am I going to do without her?"

"You've got me," Cho says, throwing her arm around her, "And like Flitwick said, she'll get better once they give her the potion."

"Let's just hope it works," Rose says, "Or I'll kill whoever did it with my bare hands."

* * *

May 28th, 1993

Mayhem, mayhem was the only word Rose could think of to describe the events of the recent weeks. Things had been bad without Poppy, very bad. Rose felt more lonely than she ever had in her entire life. Her other friends grew sad in her absence. Rose became withdrawn from them after that, short of Cho, who wouldn't let her leave.

Rose spent a lot of time in the library towards the end of February, throwing herself into her work. Even Professor Snape had to admit she was most certainly the top of her class without Hermione Granger to compete with. That too made her sad.

On the 26th her 13th birthday came and went without the fuss of the year previous. Amelia and Millie had drawn her a birthday card, which was big for them, as they rarely even spoke to each other these days. It wasn't as though nobody liked each other anymore, it was the pain of having to deal with the loss of Poppy that drove them apart. Rose came to realize that Poppy was the glue that bonded them together.

Professor Lockhart had grown the worse in recent weeks, becoming even more insufferable than he was before. Rose had taken to defacing some of the school books she had to buy. Every little Lockhart had a moustache, a dunce cap, or other little mockery made of him. She smiled every time she saw them. Poppy would have laughed and that was a happy thought, her laughing again. Rose doubted sometimes whether or not she'd ever hear her laugh again. Professor Sprout's mandrake remedy was taking a miserably long time. She wondered how long she could stay petrified before she started to  _die._

Speaking of petrification, the school was sent into an uproar after that. The students now have to be escorted to class by Professors. Rose once had the unfortunate luck to get Professor Lockhart, who prattled on about himself the entire way up to Ravenclaw tower. His egocentrism annoyed her, perhaps even worse than Snape annoyed her. She hated to admit it to herself, but she hated the accompaniment of Lockhart more.

Since the attack on Hermione and Poppy the school has been more mistrustful of Harry Potter. They seemed to think that he was the only one likely to be the heir of Slytherin. She didn't believe it though, and came to his defense as often as she could. He, or so she thought, looked even sadder than she did.

And then it happened, one night, a girl was taken. At long last the school looked like it was in it's final days.  _Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever,_ the threat, written in blood read. Rose didn't see it for herself, but it was described to her in horrific detail. The Ravenclaws packed their things that night quickly, wanting to be prepared. Rose even packed up Poppy's things. She'd get her out of the school, too, even if she had to carry her out. That's how deep their friendship is seeded.

But the Ravenclaws needn't have panicked. Hogwarts school would not close, all thanks to Harry Potter that is. In secret for practically the entire year Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been trying to figure out who was Slytherin's heir. That was the hushed conversations, the worried looks, the secrecy, it was to save them all. Rose knew they'd come to regret their treatment of poor Harry Potter one day.

Rose believed the rumors, no matter how fantastic, because she believed Harry Potter was capable of fantastic things. The girl they had taken was Ron Weasley's sister, Ginny, after all. The Weasleys were like his family and Rose knew he wouldn't sit idly by and lose what little he had left. The two rescued her, with help from Hermione Granger of course, and Poppy by the looks of it. Together, in the library, they discovered that it was truly a Basilisk that dwelled in the deep dark of Hogwarts.

It was said that to look in the snake's eyes would surely mean death. But none of the petrified students did so directly, even Poppy used her eyeglasses to protect herself. Harry Potter battled the snake in the chamber, below the girl's bathroom on the first floor. It is also said that he battled He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the chamber, his teenage self preserved in the diary. It was not Harry, but Lord Voldemort, that was Slytherin's heir. Using his gift of parseltongue Harry had saved them all.

Rose also heard that the sword of Gryffindor came to him in a moment of great need, which she supposed was also true. What greater Gryffindor would be worthy of such a thing? None but Harry Potter and Godric himself, or so Rose surmised. If anyone was going to pull the sword of Gryffindor out of the hat it would be Harry Potter.

And though he killed the snake and saved the girl he still remained humble, as he always had been. He didn't get up on his high horse and say "I told you so" and rub it in everyone's faces. He did what he had always done, be brave. Rose could think of no truer Gryffindor.

In the days to follow there was celebration, the students finally felt safe again. Gone were the days when friends turned on friends, fearing the worst of each other. All was well at last, to most everyone of course. They had hauled Hagrid off to Askaban prison upon the chamber's openings. Apparently he had been falsely accused of opening it fifty years previous. Though Dumbledore presumably ordered his release, he still had not come back to the school.

Rose sighs as she flops down the stairs to the great hall for the end of term feast. She'd have her exams next week, and despite of everything, she still felt unprepared. She longs to have Poppy sitting next to her as she takes her seat besides Cho, turning to the teacher's table.

"Rose! Rose!" Cho says, hitting her on the arm, "Look, isn't that Nearly Headless Nick?" she asks.

"Yeah," Rose sighs, "That's him."

"But wasn't he petrified that night with Justin?" she adds.

Rose perks up and says, "Look there's Hermione Granger!"

She stands, bolt upright, finally spotting her. "Poppy!" she half yells, running the length of the room. She throws her arms around her, sobbing hard, as they connect. "I've missed you so much, Pops," Rose says, "Hogwarts isn't the same without you."

"i've missed you too," she says, crying herself, "Thank god for mandrakes, right?"

Rose laughs through the tears and says, "Oh Poppy I've felt horrible, I should have been with you that night."

"You can't protect me from everything," Poppy says, smiling.

"You never leave me again," Rose says, leading her to the table, "You never leave us alone again, alright?"

Poppy nods, laughing, as her fellow Ravenclaws begin to greet her and pat her on the back. "Well done, Poppy," Penelope Clearwater says, "I heard you helped Hermione Granger solve it."

"I didn't do much," Poppy says, "Just what I could."

"You've done brilliant," Amelia says, throwing her arm around her.

"Welcome back," The Grey Lady says, smiling shyly, floating over the table.

"Thank you, Helena," she says, "It's good to be back."

"Could I have your attention, please?" Professor McGonagall says, hitting her spoon on her water goblet.

"I wonder if that's the goblet with my rat's eyes," Poppy laughs, thinking of the last time she was in transfiguration.

"Probably not," Rose says, smiling, "I don't see the tail."

"Before we begin the feast, let us have a round of applause for Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey, whose Mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all who had been Petrified," Dumbledore says.

The school erupts into applause, Rose slapping her hands together particularly hard. "Also, in light of the recent events, as a school treat," Dumbledore adds, "All exams have been canceled."

"Oh thank goodness," Rose says.

Groans echo from some others at the Ravenclaw table, but also many cheers as well. Contrary to popular belief, not all Ravenclaws enjoy studying or taking tests. Poppy, in particular, grins, not fond of test-taking.

"Sorry I'm late!" a gruff voice says at the entrance to the hall.

Rose turns, realizing that it belongs to Hagrid. Harry, Ron, and Hermione beam as they look up to him. "The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused. Some ruddy bird called Errol," he says.

As he reaches Harry, Ron, and Hermione his words are lost with the sound of excited whispering from the tables around her. Clapping starts again, and excited whooping, which Rose happily joins in with. Even the Slytherins participated, which was a rare sight in itself.

Another year was finally done at Hogwarts. Another monster beaten, several more tests taken and spells learned, but most of all it was the year she learned what it truly means to love and be loved by someone. She learned the true value of friendship, of bravery, of love, and nothing could take that away.


	3. Year Three

August 27, 1993

"Poppy!" Rose exclaims, standing up from her table at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Rose!" she half yells, throwing her trunk down, "Hey Cho!"

The Macguffins and the Changs had agreed that the girls were old enough to take a portkey to Diagon Alley by themselves. And so they did, arriving last night. This was big for them, as the wizarding world is in an uproar about the escape of notorious mass-murder Sirius Black from the island prison Askaban. The wanted posters wallpapered the Leaky Cauldron, Sirius screaming, crazed, unnerving. Not many things scared Rose Macguffin but Sirius Black certainly did.

The three girls help Poppy collect her things and climb the rickety staircase to their second floor room. "I asked Tom the innkeeper for another bed this morning," Rose says, "It's not much, but hey, we're together!"

"I wish you could dorm with us all the time, Cho," Poppy says, "It's a shame you're a year ahead."

"With the way Wil described it to me, I might have to go through fourth year twice," Cho sighs, "With O.W.L.S. around the corner, I'm going to be busy."

"I'm excited to finally be a third year," Rose says, sitting on the edge of Poppy's bed, "We'll be able to go to Hogsmeade."

"If they still let us," Poppy says, tossing an owl treat to Aya, "With Sirius Black on the loose."

"Sirius Black's barking if he thinks he can just walk into a village with that many wizards," Rose says, "But then again he's not afraid of murdering people."

"I read about it in the Prophet," Poppy says, "It's a shame about all those muggles."

After Poppy settles in the girls begin to climb back down the stairs, intent upon grabbing an ice cream from Florean Fortescue's shop before it closes. "Oh! I'm sorry sir," Poppy says, bumping into a man in a lime green bowler hat.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," he says.

"Minister!" Rose exclaims shocked, as he looks up.

"You're the Minister of Magic!" she adds.

"The one and only," he says with a smile, "I presume you're young students of Hogwarts school?"

"We're Ravenclaws, sir," Cho says smiling, "Cho Chang, Rose Macguffin, and Poppy Tippet."

"Oh you're mother's Karen Macguffin!" the Minister exclaims, "I'd recognize that red hair anywhere."

"Cured me of a particularly nasty case of Dragon Pox in my youth," he says, "I ran into a Peruvian Vipertooth on holiday one year."

"Anyway, best be off," he says, "I've got a meeting to catch."

"Nice meeting you," Poppy says, "And sorry, sir, again, for bumping into you."

"Don't think of it," he smiles, "Have a good night, girls!"

He turns the bend and continues up the stairs, away from them. Poppy's face reddens as she swells with embarrassment. "I can't believe I just ran into the Minister of Magic."

"I only recognize him at the last second," Rose says, "Didn't expect him to fancy wearing bright green."

The girls laugh as they pass through the entry to Diagon Alley. The streets are still filled with shoppers trying to get last minute things before the train comes next week.

"Mhmmm, Dragonberry," Rose says, as they exit Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, "Pops, I can't believe you only got vanilla!"

"I like vanilla," she says, "I didn't grow up with all the wizarding flavors like you did!"

"Calm down, Poppy," Cho says, "She's just yanking your wand."

The three girls pass through the enchanted wall, back into the Leaky Cauldron. "Remind me to send a letter to my mother tomorrow," Poppy says, "To tell her I got here alright."

"Already done," Cho says, "I wrote something quick while you were unpacking."

"You really do think of everything, don't you?" Poppy says, taking a seat at a rickety table by the busy bar.

"That's why we're in Ravenclaw," Cho says with a smile.

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm in Ravenclaw," Poppy says, "I'm not particularly gifted at spellwork."

"That's not entirely what makes a Ravenclaw, Poppy," Rose says, "You're smart, well-read, and very funny."

"I'm not sure humour has anything to do with it," Poppy says.

" _Wit_ beyond measure," Rose reminds her.

"I guess you're right," Poppy admits, turning back to her vanilla cone.

Poppy elbows Rose hard in the ribs suddenly, almost knocking the wind right out of her. "Poppy!" she coughs, "What the hell!"

"Look!" she whispers loudly, "That's Harry Potter!"

"Someone's wanting you meet with ya, Mr. Potter," the hunchbacked barkeep says, "Up the stairs you go."

"What about my trunk?" he asks, as he's ushered towards the stairwell.

"Leave that to me," Tom says, "Come on, now. Don't want ta' be late for your meetin', do ya?"

Harry climbs the stairs out of sight without even looking in their direction. "I bet he's meeting with the Minister of Magic," Poppy says.

"How do you figure?" Cho asks.

"All this business with Sirius Black and all," Poppy says, "Harry Potter's a major target these days. It only makes sense."

"And you thought you didn't belong in Ravenclaw," Rose says, beaming.

Poppy blushes and the girls return to their excited talking about the year ahead of them.

* * *

August 31st, 1993

"Breakfast," Rose breathes, digging into her eggs and toast, cozy, still inside the Leaky Cauldron.

"Oh hello, Rose," Hermione Granger says as she passes by their table.

"Hey Hermione," Rose says, "Ready to go back tomorrow?"

"Hardly," she says, scowling, looking under the table, "I can't find my cat."

"Oh no!" Cho exclaims, "Would you like help looking for him?"

"I'm warning you, Hermione! Keep that bloody beast of yours away from Scabbers or I'll turn it into a tea cozy!" Ron Weasley bellows the length of the room.

"I think you've found your cat," Fred Weasley says, taking a sit at the long table beside them.

Hermione scowls and walks towards Ron, arms folded, ready to argue. "Bloody hell, George, here we go again," Fred says, "I swear these two are practically an old married couple by now. Can you believe it?  _Our_ brother?! How  _did_ we let him turn out like that?"

"He's a cat, Ronald," Hermione interrupt their conversation, "What do you expect? It's in his nature!"

"A cat! Is that what they told you? Looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me!" Ron exclaims.

"That's rich coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush," Hermione retorts.

"It's all right, Crookshanks. You just ignore the mean little boy…" she coos to the cat.

"Harry!" they say together, looking up the stairs, presumable at Harry Potter, just out of Rose's sightline.

"Are you two honestly arguing again?" he says, stepping down the stairs.

"We wouldn't have to if she kept that beast under control," Ron spits, "Honestly, Hermione, I don't know why you bought that  _thing_ over an owl!"

"I don't expect you to understand, Ronald," Hermione snaps, turning back to Harry, "We just got here this morning. The rest of the Weasleys are in diagon alley, collecting last minute school things."

"Have you two eaten?" Harry says, "I'm starved."

"Don't let my mum hear you say that," Ron says, "With the way those Dursleys feed you, you're lucky she hasn't tried to adopt you yet."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sit at the large table, beside Fred and george, eager to catch up and have their breakfast. "Kind of  _abrasive?_ Is she?" Rose whispers to Poppy.

* * *

September 1st, 1993

"Is the train fuller than ever this year, or is it just me?" Amelia says, sliding into the compartment beside Cho, Poppy, Millie, and Marietta.

"It's not just you," Rose says, "We barely found an empty compartment!"

"After last year I thought enrollment would go down not up," Millie says, "That everyone would be too afraid of what happened to come back."

"You can't just go to any old school to learn magic, though," Cho says, "Who wouldn't want to go to Hogwarts?"

"There's other magical schools out there, you know," Poppy says, "I've read about them."

"None as great as Hogwarts," Rose says, the others nodding in agreement.

The girls sit on the train for a long while, catching up, getting nibbles from the trolley. But that's when the trouble started.

"It's really raining, isn't it?" Rose says, "The sky is ghostly."

"And it's freezing," Cho says shivering.

"It's not exactly supposed to be this cold in September," Millie says, "Is it?"

"My mother said Inverness was sunny, strangely. And warmer than usual," Rose says, "Looks like the weather's taken a turn."

"I wish I had worn a thicker jumper," Marietta sighs.

"Look at the window!" Poppy exclaims, frightened, pointing.

A thin sheet of ice spreads across the window. "Something's wrong," Rose says, standing.

The train lurches and slows, sending Rose face-forward into the ground. The compartment door rattles and flies open, slamming back shut. "Are you alright, Rose?" Cho asks, helping her up.

"You're bleeding!" Poppy says.

"I think you'd better go see a healer," Amelia says, "There's one for emergencies at the front of the train."

The steam engine lurches again. Marietta exclaims, "Look! There's  _things_ outside!"

Ghostly black shapes wind their way around train, encasing it in ice. "You're not going anywhere," Cho says, locking the compartment door, "Something's wrong."

"We're not there yet," Amelia says, "So why did we stop?"

Rose looks to the compartment door. A great black shapes floats by them, glancing inside. Rose could see just for a second rotting flesh and a great black mouth. The creature passes them, not looking back. "What the bloody hell is that?" Poppy squeaks, whispering.

"I feel bad," Rose says, "Really bad."

"Well you have just hit your face on the ground," Marietta says.

"No, I know what she means," Poppy says, "Not bad as in hurt. Bad as in I feel like I'll never be happy ever again."

Silvery blue erupts in the corridor, pushing the black creature backwards, off the train. A few moments later the train roars back into motion and a tall shabby man runs by. Students slowly begin to poke their heads out of their compartments. Rose feels as though she can finally chance seeing a healer.

"Are you hurt, Rose?" Charles Hooper says, leaning out of his compartment, concerned, noticing the blood, "Did that  _thing_ hurt you?"

The summer had treated him well, making him even more the handsome. He was in the same year as Rose, and almost looked a man yet. Rose had rarely spoken to him in the past two years but somehow, they both wanted to start. He was Ellis' younger brother, after all. "I was standing when the train lurched," Rose answers him, "And I fell."

"I'll walk with you," he says, sliding the compartment door shut, "In case you feel faint."

"You don't have to do that, Charles," she protests, holding a handkerchief to her face.

"No, no," he says, "I want to!"

Rose blushes and turns away from him as they walk to the front of the engine.

"You can call me Charlie, by the way," he says, "None but my folks call my Charles. And only when they're mad at me!"

"My brother said to tell you hello," he says, trying to make small talk, "He wants you to write him about quidditch, when it starts."

"I will," she says, awkwardly, "It won't be the same without him."

"I might try out this year," Charlie says.

"Carrying on your brother's legacy as the best Ravenclaw chaser this century?" Rose grins.

"Nah," he says, "Too much pressure."

"I'm going to try for beater," he says, "Ellis says I have the build for it."

It was true, he did have a beater's build. He was tall, broad-shouldered and strong. Ellis and his brother shared many traits, however, including his brilliant blue eyes.

"I can help you practice if you'd like," Rose says, "I'd imagine Davies would want to hold the tryouts as soon as possible."

"That'd be great, yeah," he laughs awkwardly.

"Great," Rose says, as they reach the front of the train.

"Tomorrow," she says, "5am sharp. Meet me on the pitch."

"Blimey!" he exclaims, "That's really early!"

"Ellis used to drag us out loads of times before dawn," Rose says.

"Oh okay," he says, "I'll be there?"

"I'm only yanking your wand," Rose says, laughing though her nose hurts, "Tomorrow, right after our last class."

He laughs and says, "You had me going there for a minute. I didn't know you were funny."

"All Scots tell good jokes," she says.

"By the way what electives are you taking this year?" Charlie asks.

"I think I've got care of magical creatures, divination, and muggle studies," she says.

"I've got magical creatures and divination as well," he says, "Save me a seat, will you?"

"I've got to run from the dungeons practically everyday," he says.

"Will do," Rose says, shuffling her feet, "Thanks for walking with me."

"Anytime," Charlie says, "I'll see you around, Rosie."

"Oh, um,  _Rose,"_ he corrects himself.

Rose laughs, still holding the handkerchief to her face and says, "You can call me Rosie, it's alright."

He blushes beet red and says, "It's only my brother talks about you a lot and that's what he calls you, so I- I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Rose says, "I like it."

"Okay," he smiles sheepishly, "Feel better,  _Rosie_."

"Thanks, Charl _ie_ ," she emphasizes the end of his name, "See now we both have 'e' names!"

"Anyway," she says, "I'll see you tomorrow. Bring your broom."

"Bye," he says, turning.

Rose turns towards the door in front of her but decides to look back at him. He turns around too. Both look back straight ahead of them, Rose grinning, forgetting the pain in her nose.

Suddenly the door bursts open and she's nearly knocked over. "You've put all the students into jeopardy! You're lucky nobody got seriously injured. Harry Potter practically died! You don't stop this train until you reach Hogsmeade, do you understand me?"

"Oh!" the shabby man that had walked past her compartment says, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Rose says, "Are you the healer? I think I've broken my nose."

"Oh, no," he says, "I'm not, but I can take a look at it if you'd like."

"Professor Remus Lupin," he says, holding out his hand, "I'll be your new defence against the dark arts professor."

Rose takes and shakes it, taking the handkerchief away from her face. "Broken noses are easy to the mend. I'm afraid the healer's a bit tied up with injuries for the moment."

He takes out his wand and points it at her face. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she asks nervously.

Professor Lupin laughs and says, "Episkey!" setting her nose back into place.

"Wow! Thank you," she says, touching her face.

"Tergeo!" he says, causing all the blood to disappear from her face.

"It doesn't even hurt anymore," Rose says.

"I'm glad," he says, "Now if you would excuse me, I've got another student to check up on."

Professor Lupin brushes past her, leaving her bewildered.

"You look better," Marietta says upon Rose's return to the compartment.

"You're not going to believe what happened," Rose says, slamming the door shut.

"I saw you and Charlie Hooper," Amelia says, "How'd that go?"

Rose blushes and says, "I'm going to help him practice before he tries out for the house team."

Poppy makes kissy faces at her. "Shut up, Pops," she says, blushing.

"I just met out new DADA professor," she switches the subject.

"He fixed my nose," she adds, "And he was yelling at the conductor. It was all really quite weird."

"At least we don't have to suffer through Lockhart now that he's gone loopy," Millie says, "I don't think I could take another year of that."

"He seemed nice," Rose says, "Things are going to be different, that's for sure."

"Hey, listen, I heard Harry Potter got attacked," Rose says, "That's what this Lupin fellow was yelling about."

"Do you think it was that thing that came onto the train?" Cho asks.

"I'm sure of it," Rose says.

Hours later the students file into the great hall, eager for the feast. Amelia looks nervously behind her every few seconds.

"She'll be fine," Millie assures her.

They are of course talking about Amelia's younger sister, Violet, a new first year.

Minutes later they arrive and the sorting begins.

"Violet Dearborn," Professor McGonagall says loudly and clearly.

Violet steps out from the crowd and walks up the steps to the sorting hat. "Hmmm, another Dearborn," it says, an opening like a mouth splits open, "But you are quite unlike your sister, aren't you?"

"You'd do well in Ravenclaw but in another you'd fit more," the Sorting Hat says, "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindors, Amelia, and all of her Ravenclaw friends applaud loudly. As she takes her seat at the Gryffindor table she turns, waving to Amelia.

"I knew she'd be a Gryffindor," Amelia says, "My mum's a Gryffindor, my dad's a Ravenclaw."

"We've been taking bets," she grins, "My father's promised to send me a galleon if I win."

"You can spend it during our first trip to Hogsmeade," Cho says.

"I'm dying to go to Honeydukes," Rose whispers as the others are sorted.

"It's brilliant," Cho says, "Then we'll have tea at Madam Pudifoot's."

After the students settle in and the rest of the first years are sorted, Dumbledore stands from the teacher's table. "Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say, before we become befuddled by our excellent feast," he says, "I myself am particularly looking forward to the flaming kiwi cups, which, while somewhat treacherous for those of us with facial hair…"

Professor McGonagall clears her throat loudly and he continues, "Mm. Yes. First, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J. Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Good luck to you, Professor."

"That's him" Rose says, "The professor that fixed my nose."

"As some of you may know, Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher for many years, has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be filled by none other than our own...Rubeus Hagrid!"

The great hall explodes into applause as Hagrid stands. He nearly knocks the whole table over, still sending several water goblets to the floor.

"Finally, on a more disquieting note, Hogwarts - at the request of the Ministry of Magic - will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban," Dumbledore says.

A low, nervous, murmur spreads over the room. "Of course!" Rose exclaims, "That was a dementor on the train. How could I be so stupid?"

"Have you seen one then?" Poppy asks.

"No, no, obviously not. But I've read about them," Rose pauses, "And I don't fancy having them hanging around the school this year."

"They're terrifying," Poppy says.

"There's a reason why they guard Askaban," Amelia says, "They suck the joy, the hope, every bit of happiness right out of you."

"This ought to be a cheerful year," Marietta interjects.

"The Dementors will be stationed at the entrances to the grounds. While they are under strict orders not to enter the castle itself, you will on occasion see them as you go about your daily activities. Under no circumstances are you to approach them. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving," Dumbledore finishes.

Rose fretted silently for the rest of the feast over the dementors. She didn't much like the idea of them being around. Since they attacked Harry, they could attack anyone. From what she could tell, the dementors at Hogwarts were every bit as dangerous as if you let Sirius Black run wild in the place. How could they be so short-sighted? Whoever made the decision, from what Rose could surmise, was no Ravenclaw.

* * *

September 2nd, 1993

"Ugh," Rose groans as she climbs through the trapdoor of the divination classroom, "This place reeks."

"Talk about too much incense," Poppy says.

"Are we supposed to sit on those?" Rose asks, pointing to some fat little pouffes on the ground by the window.

"I think so," Harry says, striding into the room with Ron.

"Oh hello, Harry, Ron, " Rose says, "Did you have a good summer?

"Hardly," Ron answers, "Harry damn near blew up his aunt."

Harry jabs him in the ribs, "It was fine, really. How about yours?"

"Fine," Rose smiles, "Nice to see you again."

Harry returns her smile. Poppy and Rose set off to the back of the room, taking their seats on two lavender pouffes by a great murky, stained-glass windows. The room was decorated strangely. It looked, or so Rose thought, like a cross between her grandmother's attic and a tea shop.

"Unfogging the Future," Poppy reads, taking out her textbook, "I don't know anything about divination."

"Me neither," Rose says, "My mum told me it's all rubbish."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see, won't we?" Rose says.

"Hey, Rose," Charlie Hooper says, passing her by, sitting on a pouffe in front beside her.

"Hey, Charlie," she says, "See you tonight."

Poppy winks dramatically at her when he nods and turns away from her to talk to Seamus Finnigan. "What's tonight?" she whispers lowly.

"Helping him practice quidditch," Rose whispers, making sure he doesn't hear them.

"Ooh, what else will you be practicing," she whispers, making kissy faces.

"Shut up, Pops," she says, elbowing her lightly in the ribs.

A dramatic and dreamy voice comes suddenly out of nowhere from the front of the room, "Welcome, my children. In this room, you shall explore the mysterious art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess…" a woman in scarlet billowing robes with huge magnified eyes steps through the crimson curtain, "... the Sight. Hello. I am Professor Trelawney."

Poppy tuts, suppressing a laugh. "Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future. But know this. One either has the Gift or not. It cannot be divined from the pages of a book. Books only cloud one's  _Inner Eye_."

"Sounds like someone's been hitting the firewhiskey a little too hard," Charlie whispers.

"What the bloody hell is she wearing," Poppy says.

"You, boy!" she says, racing towards Neville Longbottom, "Is your grandmother well?"

"I-I think so," he chokes out nervously, intimidated.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Professor Trelawney says.

"The first term will be devoted to the reading of tea leaves. If all goes well, we will proceed to palmistry, fire omens, and finally... the crystal ball," she continues.

Suddenly her focus shifts to Parvati Patil, pointing at her, she says, "By the way, dear, beware a red-haired man."

Parvati edges her pouffe away from Ron Weasley. Poppy snorts loudly. "Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And in late spring, one of our number will... leave us forever," Professor Trelawney says.

Several students gasp and exchange uneasy glances. "Well then, shall we?"

"At least we've got a cuppa," Poppy says, taking her last sip of tea, several minutes later, after Professor Trelawney handed out her favorite teacups.

"Let's see then," Rose says, beckoning her to give up her cup,  _Unfogging the Future_ spread across her lap, open to the first chapter on Tessomancy.

"Hmm," She frowns, studying her cup, handing Poppy her own without looking at it.

"Well this here could be a chain," Rose starts, "Symbolizing responsibility. But it also looks like you have an acorn, which is unexpected gold."

"Ooh, Pops," Rose says, "You should be gambling!"

"Let me see," she says, taking her own cup back, "It just looks like little clumps of tea leaves to me."

"C'mon, read mine," Rose says with a laugh.

"Well this could be a heart, symbolizing love," Poppy says, "And there's a knot here too, which means stress and anxiety."

"So long story short you're going to fall in love but you're going to be stressed out about it," Poppy laughs.

"That's not so bad," Rose says, "You rich, and me in love. I'd take that."

"Ugh," Charlie groans next to her, across from Seamus Finnigan.

"What's wrong, Charlie?" Rose asks.

"I've got cross and a heart," he says, "Suffering love."

"Sounds a lot like mine," Rose says, "Except I've got love and anxiety."

"Funny coincidence," Poppy interjects, beaming, "You've got practically the same thing."

Rose blushes deeply and turns away from Charlie, shooting Poppy daggers. "Broaden your minds, my dears. And allow your eyes to see... beyond," Professor Trelawney muses.

"Oh shut up," Poppy mutters, "The only reason you can  _see into the beyond_  is because you're wearing magnifying glasses on your face," thus causing Seamus to explode with laughter.

"A five-leaf clover... You can expect to wake with a horrible rash tomorrow morning, dear," Professor Trelawney says, peering into Lavender Brown's cup.

"Mr. Longbottom, after you've broken your first cup…" she starts before Neville drops his teacup on the floor, "... would you be so kind as to select one of the blue ones? I'm rather partial to the pink."

"Oh come on we could all see that coming," Rose mutters, "Don't need to see the future to know that Neville Longbottom is prone to accidents."

"What do you see in Mr. Potter's cup, Mr. Weasley?" Professor Trelawney says, pausing by Ron and Harry's table.

Rose hadn't noticed her before, but Hermione sits with them as well. "Well. He's got a wonky sort of cross - that's trials and suffering. But this lot here could be the sun - that's great happiness. So... he's going to suffer but be very happy about it," Ron guesses.

"The cup," Professor Trelawney beckons him to give it to her.

"Oh!" she gasps, slamming the cup back down on the table.

"What is it, Professor?" Parvati calls.

"My dear boy," she starts, looking at Harry with a mixture of pity and fear, "...You have the grim."

"The grin?" Seamus calls, "What's the grin?"

"Not the grin you idiot, the  _grim_!" a Gryffindor called Bem reads, "Taking the form of a giant spectral dog, it is among the darkest omens in our world. It is an omen... of death."

"Or they could just be tea leaves," Rose groans.

"Knowing Harry Potter he probably really does have the grim," Poppy whispers, "I don't know if I'm really that surprised."

"I think my mother was right," Rose says, "It's all rubbish."

After divination Rose had transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, who gave a particularly lengthy lecture on animagi. She learned about the Wiggenweld Potion, which was equally as boring. The potion was supposed to wake someone up from a magically induced sleep, but somehow it did the opposite. The more Snape droned on in monotone, the more Rose thought she was going to fall asleep. Professor Lupin didn't make them do much upon their first meeting, only lecturing for a short time on boggarts, promising that they'd get to see one during their next class. The prospect excited her, actually learning something, after the two duds she's had the years previous for defence against the dark arts.

The last class she had to get to was care of magical creatures with Hagrid, which was to say the least exciting. Hagrid brought them a live Hippogriff, which was very thrilling at first, especially for Harry Potter, who got to ride him. Then Malfoy decided to rush the beast and it hit him in the arm, knocking him down. He whined like a child when he hit the ground, threatening Hagrid and Buckbeak. He vowed to not rest until the beast was killed and somehow, Rose couldn't shake the feeling he'd stick to his promise.

Fortunately for Charlie and Rose the class ended early, leaving them with more time for quidditch. "I'll meet you on the pitch in ten minutes," she says, striding into the locker room to collect her broom and dress.

She didn't much fancy trying to play quidditch in a skirt so she threw on her quidditch uniform. She strides out of the room five minutes later, early, yet still finds Charlie waiting for her. "All dressed up for me?" he asks, jumping up from the grass.

"I had to change into my pads," she says, tapping her arm, "Before I know if you're any good."

"You might break my arm or something," she adds.

"You do have a history of accidents," he says.

"That was one time," she says, "And it was not my fault, the train lurched, I was going to go investigate."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he says, "You ready?"

They mount their brooms and soar high into the air after releasing a practice bludger. A practice bludger didn't move as fast as a normal one, and allowed the user to practice hitting targets. "Here's what I want you to do first," Rose starts, tossing him a bat, "Send the bludger through one of the three hoops."

"Really concentrate now," Rose says, "Because I'm going to be defending them."

"If this was a real game, it'd be the players you're hitting at," she adds, "So you're already at an advantage."

The bludger soars into the air as Charlie pelts it towards the center hoop. It sails through without a problem. "Let's see how you do with two," she says, releasing another.

The bludgers fly towards him, causing him to have to take both hands off his broom, hitting the first bludger in front of him, backhanding the second one. The second bludger flies through the leftmost hoop at the opposite end of the pitch. "Bloody hell," Rose exclaims.

He hits another bludger towards the hoops but Rose blocks it with her own bat, sending it back to him.

"A talent for quidditch really does run in your family," Rose says an hour later as they sit and rest in the Ravenclaw stands.

"Ellis helped me a bit this summer," he says, "Do you think I have a fair shot at tryouts?"

"I think Davies would be insane not to consider you," she says, putting her feet up on the row in front of her.

"I heard he's not making previous team members try out," Charlie frowns, "I heard Inglesbee talking about it."

"So I'm not sure I have much chance afterall," he says, hanging his head.

"Jason was in his seventh year last season," Rose says, "So they'll be looking for a new beater afterall."

"Yeah but that's one spot," he says, "I have no idea how many other people are going to try out."

"That's the fun of it," Rose says, "I had to go up against nine other people last year, many of whom were several years older than me. You just have to show them what you showed me tonight."

"Show them you're worth taking a chance on," she says.

"I remember that day you tried out," he says, "I was in the stands watching with Evan Perks."

"I didn't see you," Rose says, "Then again I didn't really know you back then."

"Yeah I was sitting behind Harry Potter. We were kind of hard to see over the banner your friends brought you," he says.

"Harry was there?" she says, surprised.

"Yeah, he was," he says, slight jealousy in his voice, "He went to all the team tryouts. Oliver Wood would have a fit if he didn't check out the competition properly."

"O-oh," she says, looking down at her hands.

"What, did you have a crush on him or something?" he asks.

"No," Rose says firmly.

"Oh, you do!" he exclaims, "You still do."

Out of the corner of her eye she sees him shake his head, disappointed. "I do not have a crush on Harry Potter," Rose asserts herself.

"Well, if you're sure," he teases, "Even if you did get a heart in your teacup this morning. Rosie and Potter together but anxious."

Rose jabs him in the ribs, "Shut up," she says, "You had a heart too."

"And you had suffering," she adds.

His eye twitches slightly. Was this the suffering the tea leaves had predicted? Whatever it was, it made Rose uneasy.

* * *

September 3rd, 1993

"Have you seen the prophet?" Poppy says, slumping down into her desk before defence against the dark arts.

"Sirius Black," Rose says, "Everyone's talking about it."

"This place is crawling with dementors," Poppy says, looking out the window, their black shapes listing in the distance.

"It's gotten a hell of a lot colder, that's for sure," Charlie's friend Evan Perks says, sitting behind the two girls, "The ground's already frozen."

"I should've worn my other jumper," Rose says with a shiver.

"I'll loan you mine," Charlie says, taking a seat beside Evan, his blonde locks particularly beautiful today.

"That's alright, Charlie," she says, "I'm fine."

Poppy raises her eyebrows at her as Professor Lupin steps out of his office. "Hello, class," he starts, "If you all could stand up, grab your wands, and follow me please."

"Oh, leave your belongs here," he adds, "You won't need them."

He leads the class to an empty adjacent room. A large wardrobe rattles violently at the far side of it. "Intriguing, yes? Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside?"

"That's a boggart, that is," Seamus says behind Rose.

"Very good, Mr. Finnigan. Can anyone tell us what a Boggart looks like?" Professor Lupin asks.

"No-one knows," Hermione says out of nowhere.

"Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears most. That's what makes it so -" she trails off, eyeing the wardrobe warily.

"Terrifying, yes," Professor Lupin finishes for her, "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Boggart."

"Let's practice it now, shall we?" he says, "Without wands, please... Riddikulus!"

 _Riddikulus,_ the class repeats back to him. "Good. So much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a Boggart off is... laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing."

"Neville, come up here, will you?" Professor Lupin beckons him to step forward.

The wardrobe continues to shake and Neville looks at like he's going to be sick. "What would you say is the thing that frightens you most?" Professor Lupin asks him.

"Profter... Snafpt…" Neville garbles his words.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," Professor Lupin says.

"Professor Snape," Neville says more clearly.

Lupin nods thoughtfully as the class laughs. "Hmmm, yes, Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Yeah, but I don't want the boggart to turn into her either," he answers.

"It won't. But I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes, very clearly in your mind. Can you do that?" Professor Lupin asks.

"She carries a red handbag.." Neville says, closing his eyes, trying to picture her.

"That's fine. We don't need to hear it. If you see it, we will. Now, when I open this wardrobe, Neville, here's what I want you to do…" Lupin leans into Neville's ear, whispering the rest.

"You can do this, Neville," Lupin says as Neville steps forward nervously, wand at the ready.

"One, two, three!" Lupin opens the wardrobe and Professor Snape slithers out.

"Think, Neville, think!" Professor Lupin says as Neville begins to back away.

"R-r-riddikulus!" Neville exclaims, changing the boggart.

Boggart-Snape now wears an old fussy lace-trimmed dress, a moth-eaten hat, and carries a bright crimson handbag. The class roars with laughter, Rose included.

Lupin drops the needle on an old record player and a rhumba fills the room, he then points to Ron.

Ron steps forward, up to the boggart, which turns into a gigantic spider. "Oh!" Rose exclaims, afraid of the giant arachnid, reaching backwards to find Poppy's hand.

She looks up, realizing it's Charlie that stands to that side of her. She waffles a moment, holding his hand. He rubs hers gently, reassuring her, before she drops his, turns redder than Snape's handbag, and turns forward. She had never been more embarrassed, though somehow his touch comforted her.

Ron raises his wand, "Riddikulus!" and eight rollerskates materialize on its legs and it begins to fall and stumble.

The class roars with laughter. "Rose!" Lupin says, beckoning her forward.

She hadn't realized she was next in line, as her mind was still trying to figure out what had just happened with Charlie. She steps forward, to the boggart and it slowly begins to transform into her worst fear.

The spider twists and turns, finally settling on the thing she fears most, a vampire. "Riddikulus!" she says, heart pounding.

The vampire covers its face with its cloak, momentarily hiding it. The cape falls away, revealing the vampire, toothless, unable to bite anymore. The class explodes with laughter as it smacks its gums together.

"Parvati!" he says, waving one of the Patil sisters forward.

The vampire turns into a great snake, which Parvati changes to a jack-in-the-box quickly. "Next!" Lupin says.

Harry Potter steps forward and Lupin's grin turns to uncertainty. The jack-in-the-box bobs backwards and forward slowly transforming into a dementor.

Harry raises his wand but is incapable to saying the spell. Lupin jumps in front of him, "Here!"

The dementor twists into a silvery full moon. With a wave of his wand Lupin turns it into a white balloon, sending it sailing around the room. Nobody laughs now. He sends it straight back into the wardrobe, slamming the door.

"Well done, everyone. I think that's enough excitement for today," Lupin says, turning back to the class.

The other students, including Rose, begin to exit the room, eager to collect their belongings and head far far away from the boggart. "Nicely done, Rose," Evan says.

Charlie looks up and smiles at her as he fuddles with the clasps on his bookbag. Rose turns to leave but he grabs her arm. "I-I'm sorry about before," he whispers, "Didn't mean anything."

Rose nods wordlessly and exits the room, too embarrassed and red in the face to glance back.

* * *

October 2nd, 1993

Not much has changed since that first week of school, short of the classes getting harder. Rose had a lot of work on her plate and she spent many long hours in the library studying at night and on the weekends.

Since her last encounter with Charlie in defence against the dark arts, they have become considerably less awkward to one another. Rose met him on the pitch several more times and spent many hours at night in the common room talking and studying. The two were becoming almost inseparable.

Quidditch trials went off without a hitch. Charlie was right, Roger Davies never made those who were on the team last year. He cited that if they were good enough for Ellis, they were good enough for him. He allowed tryouts for one chaser and a beater, though, giving Charlie his chance.

Many more tried out for the position than did the previous year. Seven students, six boys and one girl, tried out for beater. Charlie was the best by far, as he passed every test with flying colors. It was Rose, this time, that was cheering him on.

Rose feels the cold breath of October as she races down to the clocktower courtyard with her friends. "I'm so excited," she says, clutching her Hogsmeade permission form in her pocket.

"Remember! These visits to Hogsmeade Village are a privilege. Should your behavior reflect poorly on the school in any way, that privilege shall not be extended again," Professor McGonagall says.

Rose looks up to her, away from Filch, as she hands him her permission form. "No permission form. No visiting the Village. That's the rule, Potter," she says, a flicker of pity in her eyes.

Rose tries to look away but she isn't capable. "Yes, Professor, but I thought if you said I could go -" Harry protests but McGonagall cuts across him.

"But I don't say so. A parent or guardian must sign, and since I am neither, it would be inappropriate," she says, her eyes growing sad, "I'm sorry, Potter. But that's my final word."

"Hasn't he been through enough?" Poppy breathes, "Just let him go to Hogsmeade."

"I guess it's not our place to decide," Rose says, catching him waving sadly at Ron and Hermione before she turns away.

Rose's visit to Hogsmeade turned out to be more than she'd ever dreamed. Her father spoke of the wonders of Honeydukes many times but he never really captured the essence of what it really was. The place was crowded and sweet-smelling. They carried every type of candy you could possibly want. Rose walked out with a sack load, much to her friends' dismay.

After hurting their wallets in Honeydukes the girls warm up with a cup of tea in Madam Pudifoots. Rose looks around and spies a few older students, including Wilhemina, with her boyfriend Bobby. She's surrounded by mostly couples and gaggles of teenage girls. I guess if you think about it, she's part of a gaggle herself.

"This place is really...pink," Poppy says half wrinkling her nose.

Poppy had never taken a liking to frilly or girly things. Rose can tell she'd prefer to be elsewhere. Rose doesn't mind Madam Pudifoot's, though. While a bit nauseating on the surface, the place has charm. She can definitely see herself here in years to come with a boyfriend like all the other couples. Who with she does not know. She's confused, and only one thing's certain, she's not ready for her first relationship.

Poppy and Rose leave Madam Pudifoot's early to walk around Hogsmeade for a bit. They walk past Zonko's Joke Shop, which is bursting to the brim with young boys. "That's great," Poppy snorts, "Now we'll have about a thousand dung bombs set off in one day tomorrow."

"How many you reckon will get caught?" Rose says.

"At least half of our year," Poppy laughs.

It's nice to spend some quality time alone at last. Rose could think of no place she'd rather be.

"Ugh," Amelia says many hours later on the way back to the common room, "I'm stuffed."

"You had three cream puffs at Madam Pudifoots," Cho warns her, "And a full meal for supper. I don't know why you're surprised."

"Yeah, Mels," Rose says, "And you all made fun of my candy sack earlier. Bunch of hypocrites!"

"Hey, what's going on up there?" Rose points to the landing above where students are beginning to gather.

"That's the Fat Lady," Marietta says, "She guards the entrance to Gryffindor common room."

They climb the stairs, pushing past a younger group of students. "What's the hold-up? Only Neville ever forgets the password," Ron Weasley groans in front of them.

His elder brother, Percy Weasley moves through to the front, "Let me through, please. Excuse me, thank you, I'm Head Boy…" he says, stopping dead, "Back! All of you! No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched!"

"The fat lady, she's gone!" a voice out of sight says.

"Probably stuffing her face with the apples in that still life on the second floor again," Ron laughs.

Several students step back to reveal her painting, slashed to pieces. "Mr. Filch. Round up the ghosts," Dumbledore's clear voice sounds from behind them, "Tell them to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"There'll be no need for ghosts, Professor," Mr. Filch says, pointing his crooked finger up to the eighth floor, "The Fat Lady's there."

The mass of students practically picks up Rose and her friends off their feet to the next landing. "Dear lady," Dumbledore starts, "Who did this to you?"

"Eyes like the devil he's got. And a soul as dark as his name," the Fat Lady wails, "It was him, Headmaster. The one they talk about. He's here. Somewhere in the castle. Sirius Black!"

Loud chattering erupts amongst the students, Dumbledore's voice cuts across them, "Secure the castle, Mr. Filch. The rest of you... to the Great Hall."

"S-Sirius Black," Millie stammers as they race down the stairs, terrified.

"How did he get past all those dementors?" Rose exclaims, "Twice!?"

"Do you really think he's in the castle?" Poppy asks, "Or is the Fat Lady just hysterical."

"I don't know about you," Charlie says from behind them, "But I'm not putting my wand away tonight."

His holly wand is firmly gripped in his fingers as her goes, with the rest of the students, to the great hall.

An hour later Professors Flitwick and McGonagall begin conjuring sleeping bags for the entirety of Hogwarts to sleep in. "We have to sleep here? Like cattle?" Malfoy groans loudly nearby.

"I'm not sleeping near all these filthy mudbloods," he adds.

"Shut it, Malfoy," she says, spreading out her sleeping bag.

"Watch your back, Macguffin," he retorts, "Best sleep with one eye open tonight."

"I need no eyes when I can smell your weasel-y scent from across the room, Malfoy," Rose spits, "Don't you ever say another word about mudbloods while I'm here again."

Malfoy wrinkles his nose and turns to Crabbe and Goyle, no doubt planning to jinx her in the middle of the night. "What are you doing?" Rose asks as Charlie begins to move her sleeping bag away.

"I'm not letting Malfoy near you," he says, "If he wants to get to you, he'll have to go over me."

"I can take care of myself," Rose says, "It's not like I'll be getting much sleep in here anyway."

"I don't know how they expect us to do it," he says, "If Malfoy's right about one thing, it's that we're packed in here like cattle."

They both sit on top of their sleeping bags and turn back to the group. "Gryffindor was Sirius Black's old house," Cho says, "I wonder if that's why he was trying to get back in there."

"I would have pegged him for a Slytherin from those wanted pictures," Poppy says, "Guess not all Gryffindors fight on the good side."

"There's been good and bad in every house," Millie says, "It's the nature of people."

"If he's made slashes on the painting that mean's he's got a weapon or something," Amelia says.

"Or a wand," Rose interjects.

"That's an even scarier thought," Poppy shudders.

"With all the teachers guarding us we ought to be safe here," Charlie thinks out loud.

"I just hope they find him before anything bad happens," Marietta says.

"Doesn't this qualify as a bad thing?" Rose asks, "You mean you hope they find him before someone  _dies."_

"Can we just have one year where everything is fine and nobody tries to kill us all?" Poppy asks, "Is that too much to ask?"

"Every year at about this time something bad happens," she adds, "I'm beginning to think this place is cursed."

The group gossips about Sirius Black for a long while until midnight, when the professors tell them it's time to sleep. They cast a silencing charm over the students, which doesn't quite reduce their sound to nothing, but forces quieted whispers.

Rose lays her head on the pillow and slides into her warm sleeping bag. "This isn't so bad," Charlie whispers.

Rose looks up and says, "Yeah, the stars are beautiful."

She turns to him. He's not looking at the stars. "It's not so bad because I'm with you."

* * *

November 1st, 1993

Though the threat of Sirius Black was incredibly real and terrifying, in the weeks that followed Sirius' attack of the Fat Lady Hogwarts gained some level of normalcy. Students were allowed back into their dormitories the next day, after thorough searches of course. Black was a bit of a troublemaker in his day and it is believed that he knows the locations of all four common rooms.

This worried Rose deeply, as any intelligent person could gain entrance to their common room if they answered the question correctly. One evening she had a very long conversation with the brass eagle knocker about this. He agreed after many days of pestering that if Black came knocking, he wouldn't open the door. Rose felt a bit safer after that.

Rose and Poppy sit in defence against the dark arts, looking over their shoulders every few minutes. "Lupin's a half hour late," Seamus groans behind him.

Pounding on the stone floor outside told them that someone was coming. "Snape!" Poppy whispers.

With a wave of his wand he slams the curtains shut, giving the room the overall look and feel of his potion's dungeon.  _Snap!_ He pulls down the screen over the blackboard and turns to face them.

"Turn to page 394," he says.

"Excuse me, sir, but... where's Professor Lupin?" Harry asks.

"That's not really your concern, is it, Potter? Suffice it to say, your Professor finds himself incapable of teaching at the present time," Snape answers, "Page 394."

"Werewolves!?" Ron Weasley exclaims before Rose can find page 394.

A paper moth flutters across the room from Malfoy to Harry's lap.

"But, sir, we've only just begun learning about Red Caps and Hinkypunks. We're not meant to start nocturnal beasts for weeks -" Hermione says.

"Quiet!" Snape snaps.

"Now. Which of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?" he asks.

Nobody answers him. Nobody wants to be the first to speak, none but Hermione Granger of course, but he declines to acknowledge her raised hand, " No one? How... disappointing," he muses.

"Please, sir, an Animagus is a wizard who elects to turn into an animal. A werewolf has no choice in the matter. Furthermore, the werewolf actively hunts humans and responds only to the call of its own kind -" Hermione says but it cut across by Malfoy's howl.

"Quiet, Malfoy! Though one must admit to feeling your pain. That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger. Tell me. Are you incapable of restraining yourself? Or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?" Snape belittles her.

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Snape adds, "As an antidote to your ignorance, I prescribe two rolls of parchment on the werewolf by Monday morning, with particular emphasis placed on recognizing it."

"What's he think he's a bloody healer now?" Poppy whispers almost inaudibly, not wanting to get into trouble.

"Passing notes, Potter?" he asks as he plucks the note from Malfoy out of Harry's hand.

"Not exactly Picasso, are you? I hope you demonstrate more talent on the Quidditch pitch this weekend then you do as an artist," he says, throwing the note back at him, fully disregarding that it was in Malfoy's hand.

"If not, I fear you'll perish, given the weather forecast," Snape adds, "Until that time, however, you'll forgive me if I don't let you off homework. Should you die, I assure you... you need not hand it in."

"Page 394," he says to the class once again.

"I miss Lupin," Poppy groans as she begins scribbling down notes on the slides Snape is showing.

* * *

November 6th, 1993

 _Bam!_ The lightning strikes the not-so-distant mountains surrounding Hogsmeade. The students of Hogwarts, Rose included, are pelted with rain in the stands surrounding the quidditch pitch. "No!" Rose exclaims as her umbrella is carried away.

"The Ravenclaw students lose an umbrella and it's headed straight toward Harry Potter," Lee Jordan says as he dives away.

"Sorry, Harry!" Rose calls though she knows he can't hear her.

"Harry Potter's spotted the snitch!" Lee shouts.

"Oh, but he looks like he's lost sight of it," he adds a few seconds later as Harry hangs in mid-air, unmoving.

"Ooph, that umbrella nearly harpooned Katie Bell," Lee says.

"Jeez, Rosie, you ought to learn how to keep ahold of an umbrella!" Charlie exclaims, sharing his with her.

"I feel bad!" she shouts over the thunder.

"Oh, he's spotted it again!" Lee Jordan commentates, "He's flying into that big dark cloud."

"That doesn't look like the best idea," Cho yells, rain soaked and shivering.

"And we've lost sight of Harry Potter," Lee Jordan yells, "I've gotta tell you, Professor, we probably shouldn't be out here."

"My god!" Rose points upward as Harry reemerges, surrounded by dementors.

Suddenly his body slackens and he slides off his broom, falling fast through the air. "Aresto momentum," Dumbledore's voice echoes through the stadium, clear and angry.

As he hits the ground the sky seems to explode. Lightning flashes, blinding the onlookers. The rest of the spectators flood back into the school in a large mass, eager to get away from the storm. "They never should have played today," Rose says, plopping into a cozy chair by the window.

"What's happened?" Poppy asks, looking up from the window.

"I just saw a broomstick hit the Whomping Willow," she adds.

"Harry fell off his broom," Cho says, "The dementors came...and..well.. I'm not really sure what happened."

"His broom's in pieces under the tree," Poppy says, "Poor Harry."

Rose counted her lucky stars she got back to the common room safe. Shivering and soaked she was, but safe at the least. That was more than you could say for Harry Potter.

* * *

December 11, 1993

"I need to pick up some presents for my parents," Poppy says as they begin the long walk through the snow to Hogsmeade.

"It's a pity Amelia and Millie are stuck studying for their arithmancy test," Rose says, "Cho's going to meet us at the Three Broomsticks for lunch."

The two girls head to Scrivenshaft's Quills first as Poppy wanted to buy her father a spell-checking quill. Next they went to Gladrag's Wizardwear, where Rose bought new gloves for her mother. They both had good luck at Tomes and Scrolls, each buying a book to give as a gift.

They pop into the crowded Honeydukes quickly, accepting a free peppermint toad from the shopkeep. Each of the girls pick out candy for the other, exchanging their small gifts upon leaving.

"I'm dying for a butterbeer," Rose says as they fly towards the door.

"No underaged wizards allowed?" Poppy groans, "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Look, Rose, Cho's left us a note," Poppy says, ripping it off the door.

_Gone to Pudifoot's with Roger. Meet you in the common room before dinner. -Cho_

"She's with  _Roger!?"_ Poppy exclaims, "At the tea shop?"

"I guess we could go see the Shrieking Shack," Rose says.

So the two girls go to the fence that surrounds the Shrieking Shack. "What happened here?" Rose says looking around at the snow.

"Snowball fight, probably," Poppy says.

"Someone was dragged over there," Rose points to the marks in the snow.

"Probably just some boys horsing around," Poppy says, rolling her eyes, "You know how they are."

"I could have sworn I just saw a black dog in the window," Rose says.

"It's gone now," she adds, nervous.

"Let's go,"

"I can't believe you went to Pudifoot's with  _Davies!"_ Rose says hours later in the common room.

"He insisted," Cho says sheepishly.

"Well was it a date?" Amelia asks through her stuffy nose.

"No, no, I'd never," Cho says, "Just two friends having tea is all."

"I don't buy it," Rose teases her, folding her arms.

"Like you should be talking!" Cho says, "How about we have a talk about you and Charlie Hooper!"

Rose blushes and says, "We're just friends."

"Changed your tune, eh?" Cho smiles.

"Shut up, Cho!" Rose grins.

* * *

January 7, 1994

"Did you see Harry's firebolt?" Cho asks as she sits next to Rose by the fire in the common room.

"I was there at Christmas when he opened it," Rose says, "My mum and dad went to visit my cousins in Paris so I never went home."

"It was honestly the most beautiful broom I've ever seen," Rose adds, "Remember we saw it in the window in Diagon Alley this summer?"

"How could I forget?" Cho says, taking a roll of parchment out to her bag to write her potions essay on.

"I don't very much fancy playing him at the end of the month," Cho groans, "He's going to win in the first thirty seconds."

"You didn't hear?" Rose says, "Professor Flitwick and McGonagall took it away from him. They're checking for jinxes."

"I heard Hermione made a big stink about it," Rose adds, "It came with a weird note."

"I hope he gets his broom back," Cho says, turning to her work, "But I don't fancy flying against him."

"Especially since we already lost to Slytherin," Rose groans, "It seems like we have no luck lately."

"We have to win the next match or else we'll lose out at a chance at the cup this year," Rose says, "Davies wants to do some extra practices this week."

"I just hope we're ready," Cho says.

"We will be," Rose assures her.

* * *

January 22nd, 1994

"Another goal for Gryffindor!" Lee Jordan bellows, "Tying the game up twenty to twenty!"

Charlie slams a bludger away from Rose as it nearly slams into the back of her head. Rose dives, saving a goal with her fingertips. "Nice save by Macguffin," Lee says, "But Cho Chang's no match for Harry Potter's firebolt. Harry's spotted the snitch!"

Rose looks up above her as she hears Cho scream. She points into the stands. Rose turns to look and backs away. Four black shapes flutter in the Slytherin stands. Dementors. Suddenly, a bright silvery-white light erupts from Harry's wand, knocking the dementors over. The Gryffindors win another goal but nobody notices, including Rose.

Professor McGonagall appears in the stands, wand aloft, and pulls up on of their hoods. "Malfoy!" she bellows through the stands.

"Cheats!" Charlie bellows, listing towards the stands.

"Harry Potter catches the snitch!" Lee Jordan says, "And Draco Malfoy lands himself in trouble. Ouch. Not funny, guys."

"Gryffindor wins!" he bellows.

Rose flies to the stands and rips out her wand. "I'll have your head, Malfoy!" she bellows loudly, "You cost us the match!"

"And the house cup!" she adds.

"I know you are upset, Miss Macguffin, understandably so," McGonagall talks her down, "If you could just put your wand away, I'll take care of it."

She lowers it cautiously, sneering at Malfoy as Charlie leads her away from the fray.

Her footsteps pound loudly on the way to the locker room. "I'll kill him. I really will," Rose says, "How can he be allowed to do that? It's cheating!"

"I will be talking with Flitwick about this," Rose says.

"It's lucky that was Draco," Charlie says, "And not the real thing."

"I'm seething," Rose says, "I've never wanted to hex somebody so much in my life."

"I can see that," Charlie says, patting her on the back, "Your face is almost as red as your hair."

"Rose! Rose!" a familiar voice calls behind her, "Charlie."

"Harry," Rose says.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know they weren't real," he says, "I didn't have anything to do with this, I promise."

"Look, Harry, we don't blame you," Charlie says, "We know you'd never conspire with Malfoy."

"Rose, would you tell Cho she did really well from me, alright?" he says, "And that I'm sorry. I saw the snitch and I just took it."

"It's fine," Rose says, blood boiling with jealousy that he thinks more of Cho's feelings than hers, "I'll be sure to mention it to her."

She'd do no such thing.

* * *

February 26th, 1994

Much had happened to Hogwarts school in the coming weeks, including two fights between the Ravenclaws and Slytherins. Sirius Black has also, allegedly, been sighted within the school again. Ron Weasley claimed he stood over him with a knife in Gryffindor Tower. Upon asking their new portrait, Sir Cadogan, he confirmed the incident. He let him in because of Neville Longbottom, or so everyone says, as he had left a list of recent passwords outside the door. An uproar ensued.

Professor Trelawney's predictions started to come true as one by one the flu had taken over their divination class. It struck Rose first and by the time the others caught it, her sickness was over. Professor Trelawney was also not wrong about a student 'leaving us forever', as on a particularly bad day Hermione Granger got fed up and abandoned the class. Oh how Rose wished she could do the same.

It is her fourteenth birthday and at last she is starting to feel like a young woman. She feels the sting of unrequited love as Harry Potter seems to have taken an interest in Cho. She tries to to resent her for it but isn't always successful.

"Are you sure you're not going to Hogsmeade?" Amelia asks from her bed, too sick to leave.

"I'm not going to go alone," she says, somewhat annoyed at the prospect of having a terrible birthday of solitude, "I'm going to go take a walk and then maybe go to the library."

She throws on her sweater and thick winter cloak and flies through the door, coins jingling in her pocket just in case. "Happy Birthday!" Charlie yells as she emerges from the dormitory staircase.

"How'd you know?" she asks.

"Cho told me," he says, "Going to Hogsmeade?"

"I don't think so," Rose frowns, "Everyone is too sick to go."

"I'll go with you," Charlie says, "You shouldn't spend your birthday studying."

"It's alright," she protests, "Plenty of books to keep me company in the library."

"I insist," he says, waving his friends off, to leave without him, "I'm not letting you stay inside by yourself."

"Fine," Rose concedes, "I suppose a bit of fresh air'd do me some good."

He smiles and runs a hand through his blonde hair, heading for the door. Rose smiles for the first time in days.

Rose and Charlie sit for a long while at her favourite bookshop, Tomes and Scrolls, pulling books off the shelves and reading them to each other, laughing. Charlie chuckles particularly hard at the romance novels. "Listen to this," he practically chokes, " _...And Hilda looked to him with wonder, his long black cloak billowing around him. He stood, tall, like a proud Hippogriff ready to charge."_

"Merlin's beard!" he swears, "Who writes this stuff?"

After a long while of giggles the two drag themselves up from their nest of books on the shop floor and head out the door. "Hold on a minute," Charlie laughs, taking one of the books off the shelf and up to the counter, going back in, to purchase it.

They pass Madam Pudifoot's on the way out but Rose dares not ask him to go in. They went to Hogsmeade as friends and she isn't prepared to leave as a couple. They decide that the Three Broomsticks is a better choice, and so Charlie buys Rose a butterbeer.

"Are you sure?" Rose asks trying to hand him a coin.

"I said put it away!" he waves her off, handing her the drink.

"Now that we're out of the running for quidditch I hope that doesn't mean we can't spend time together," Charlie says.

"Of course not," Rose says quickly, "We have studying, as always."

"I just thought you might not want me around anymore," he admits.

"I've grown accustomed to your presence," Rose starts.

"-Is that your way of telling me you like me?" Charlie winks.

"Come off it," she says, thumping him on the elbow, "It means I'm not letting you get away that quickly."

The two stop at Hogsmeade before taking a walk down to Sprintwitches Sport Shop to oggle their new stock of brooms. "I can't believe Harry has one of these," Charlie groans.

"I think my parents would go broke if they bought me one," Charlie adds.

"What do they do?" Rose asks, "Your parents I mean."

"My mum's secretary to Ludo Bagman in Magical Games and Sports," he starts, "And my dad works in the department too. He does security work at the games."

"Is he going to be doing the World Cup?" Rose asks, "I heard it's going to be in England this year."

"We've already got tickets," he beams.

"I'd die to go," she says.

"Why don't you come?" Charlie says, "I'm sure my mother can get you some tickets for your family!"

"I'd fight you on it like I usually do," Rose starts, "But that would be amazing!"

"I'm glad you think so," he says, eyeing a particularly expensive beater's bat.

The two walk out of the shop empty-handed. Their wallets really don't go deep enough for new quidditch equipment. Their hand-me-downs and second-rate brooms would have to do.

"I'm going to miss the snow," Rose says as they begin the hike back up to the school.

 _Bam!_ "Hey!" Rose says as she's hit with a snowball.

She picks up some fresh powder and chucks it back at him. They laugh a minute, throwing snowballs at each other until Rose gets an idea. "Wingardium leviosa!" she say, pelting him with ten flying snowballs at once.

"No fair," he says, taking out his own.

Ten minutes later they lay in the snow making snow angels, robes soaked, and faces red with the cold and laughter.

In that moments she forgets Harry Potter fancying another. She forgets it's her birthday and he friends aren't there. All she sees is him and it's not a bad thing.

That night, after dinner, Rose finds something on her pillowcase.  _Hilda Verne and the Man in Black._ She smiles, opening the first page. A note is scribbled inside:  _For Rosie, my favourite Keeper. Happy Birthday. Love, Charlie_

* * *

June 8th, 1994

"Ugh," Rose groans, "This potion's exam is going to kill me."

"Tell me about it," Poppy says, "Confusing Concoction? More like  _I'm confused_ concoction."

"I feel your pain," Cho says, "Snape's got us doing antidotes and it's terribly confusing."

"I'm still trying to get through divination," Charlie sighs, "I still haven't finished my dream journal."

"The exam is tomorrow!" Rose says.

"I know, I know," he says, "Hurry up, I need to fill in some dreams. Help me."

"You fought a dragon, won some riches," Poppy suggests, "You were naked on the quidditch pitch."

Charlie looks at her quizzically. "It's a common muggle dream!" she protests as her friends laugh.

"I guess we know what's in your dream journal, Pops," Amelia says, "I'm thankful I took ancient runes instead."

"I'm not taking it again next year," Rose says, "I'm switching to ancient runes. I can't take Professor Trelawney anymore."

"Thank god she's not very observant, all those times we lied to her," Poppy says, "Kind of funny, she's not observant. Guess she's not using her  _inner eye to see into the beyond!"_ she imitates her.

"I think Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil are the only ones who like her," Charlie says, "Evan and I are switching too."

"To what?" Rose asks.

"Ancient runes," Poppy says, making kissy faces.

Charlie blushes a deep red and turns back to his studying, chancing one last short glance at Rose.

* * *

June 25th, 1993

"I can't believe they're over," Rose says, rolling her trunk into the great hall, "Exams are finally over."

"How can you talk about exams when we just found out our defence against the dark arts professor is a werewolf?" Poppy asks.

"Professor Lupin is a good man," Rose says, "It's a shame that prejudice forced him out. He's the best DADA teacher we've ever had."

"You're right," Cho says, "He was always good to us. He deserved better than this."

The Ravenclaw girls talk for a few minutes before deciding to get a headstart to Hogsmeade station. They drop their trunks by the red and black steam engine and climb inside, a long ride home ahead of them.

As the train roars into Kings Cross station, slowing to a stop, Rose feels sad. "Write me," Rose says hugging Millie, then Amelia, "I'll come visit if I can."

"I'll miss you," Amelia says as she takes her sister's hand and walks her down the platform to her parents.

"Poppy," Rose says, hugging her, "I fully expect you to be at my house for at least two weeks this summer."

"You got it," Poppy says, "Only if you come and experience the muggle world with me."

"Deal," Rose says, "I'll write you the second I get home."

Marietta waves across the platform, headed to her mother. "Cho, you're always welcome to drop by whenever," Rose says, giving her a hug, "I'm sure we're going to play a lot of quidditch."

"Bye, Rose," she says, turning to her parents, "See you soon."

"Did you think you'd get away without saying goodbye to me?" Charlie says.

"No way," she grins, hugging him.

He smelled of peppermint toads and tea. His chest was warm and inviting. As Rose lets go of him she doesn't want to. "Don't be a stranger," she says, "Write to me, will you?"

"I'll do better than that," he says reaching into his pocket, placing three Quidditch World Cup tickets into her hand, "Being the son of Ludo Bagman's secretary has its privileges."

"Thank you," she says, "Really."

They hug once more and he says, "Bye, Rose,"

"Bye," she says, skipping over to her parents grinning, heart-pounding, holding her tickets aloft.

"Holy Hippogriffs," her father says, "The Minister's box!?"

"That boy must really like you," her mother teases her.

She looks up one last time at the steam engine she'd not see for the next two months. She'd miss all of her friend, Charlie, Harry, and the others, but she'd miss Hogwarts most. It's where she truly belongs.


	4. Year Four

August 22, 1994

"Hurry up, Rose!" Karen Macguffin yells up the stairs to her daughter, "We're meeting the Changs in ten minutes!"

"Coming!" Rose flies down the stairs.

She had been attempting to fix her makeup and hair. Over the summer she'd gone through a few changes and was slowly becoming a woman. Specifically, she was taller, a lot taller. She was always tall, but she estimates she's grown two inches in two months.

After visiting Poppy in the summer Rose picked up some muggle makeup at what Poppy called 'the department store' and she quite liked it. Visiting the muggle world was unlike anything Rose had ever done before. It took some getting used to, admittedly, especially using muggle money and transportation. Poppy lived in London and for the first time ever Rose experienced a life without magic, though she thought it every bit as good. She very much enjoyed the fashion and the shopping. Poppy promises she'd have her over again the next summer.

She tucks her pink lipstick into her pocket by her wand and flies down the stairs to her mother. "The tin can's in the backyard," she says, "Cho and her family are with your father."

Cho's parents are nice people, very much like Rose's own parents. Cho's mother works for the Minister of Magic's Office and the Minister had given them tickets to the World Cup too.

"Ireland vs Bulgaria," Rose says entering the conversation, "This ought to be interesting."

"Who will you be rooting for?" Cho asks.

"Ireland, I think," Rose answers, "Although there's Viktor Krum for the Bulgarians…"

"I don't think I'll be disappointed either way," Cho says, placing a finger on the rusty tin can portkey.

Several seconds later the can begins to shake and it swirls them through space, to England, just outside the match. The two girl and their family reach the ground gracefully, having had much practice at taking portkeys.

"Wow!" Cho exclaims as she lays eyes on the rows of white tents and the pandemonium that lays before her.

The tents are surrounded by Bulgarian red and Irish green, making it look like Christmas. "Our tent it second row," he father starts, looking at the map Charlie had send them, "Looks like the sixteenth in from the left. And the Changs are right next door."

The girls run ahead to find their tents. They're already set up,  _Macguffin_ and  _Chang_ pinned to the outside of them.  _Ellis and I will meet you here at 9am - Charlie_ is stuck beneath the sign on Rose's tent. Cho looks at her watch, "Perfect," she says, "It's only 7:30, we'll have time to explore beforehand."

Rose and Cho's parents file in behind them, their fathers carrying their tightly packed bags. Rose explores her tent, which is bigger on the inside and includes her own room and bathroom. Rose thought she'd quite like one of these tents all the time, it's like having a whole house you can fold up and put in your pocket. Deep red and golds glitter in the fully-stocked kitchen. "Cauldron cakes!" Rose exclaims as her mother takes a box of them out of her bag.

She reaches for them but she slaps her hand away, "These are for Charlie Hooper and his parents," she says, "Make sure you give this to him when he comes 'round."

"Ugh," Rose groans.

Her mother pulls out another box and lays it beside the one to give to the Hoopers. "You didnae think I wasn't going to keep any for us?" she grins.

"Thanks, mum!" she says, plucking two out of the box, setting out to the Changs' tent to give one to Cho.

"This is unreal," Cho says as she sits in the kitchen, eating her cauldron cake.

"I can't believe we're here," Rose says, "Lets have a look around."

Salesmen surround Rose and Cho wherever they go, and thankfully their parents had given then a few coins. Rose purchases a small firebolt that really flies, a green Ireland rosette that yells out all of the players' names, an Ireland flag, and a Viktor Krum figurine that seemed very content upon walking across her hand and scowling up at her Ireland rosette.

She and Cho had split a pair of expensive 10 galleon omnioculars to share during the game. It glimmers gold around Rose's neck as they trot back to their tent, the pockets empty, and their stomachs full of green Irish butterbeer.

Harry waves at Cho a few rows away, surrounded by his friends. He nods to Rose as well, much to her disappointment.

"Rose!" A man rushes her, picking her up off her feet.

"Ellis!" she says, hugging him, "Oh god, I've missed you."

"Cho!" he says, hugging her next.

Charlie steps forward behind him, grinning. He had gotten taller too, and his face seemed different, more chiselled like his brothers. No one can deny that the Hooper boys are handsome, she'd give them that.

"I've missed you too, Charlie," she says, standing on her tiptoes to hug him too.

He hugs her tight, almost not letting her go for a few minutes. The rosette squeals the names of the Irish players in high voices as they are squished. "I see you've loaded up on souvenirs," Charlie says, tucking her hair back, placing a four leaf clover over her ear.

"Found this on the ground when we set up your tent," he exclaims, "Took it as a sign of good luck, right?"

Rose's parents fly out of the tents to welcome the boys. Rose blushes deeply. "Oh are you Charlie?" her mother asks, "Rose never shuts up about you."

"Does she?" his eyes widen and he winks to Rose as he hugs her mother.

Rose covers her face a moment in embarrassment. "Here, take some cauldron cakes for your family."

"Thank you, Mrs. Macguffin," he says, turning and nodding to Rose's father, shaking his hand, "Mr. Macguffin."

"You must be Ellis," her mother says, hugging his elder brother, "Another famous name in our household. I heard you got picked up to play for Puddlemere United."

"Yes, yes, I did," Ellis says, "Oliver Wood, too, he was the Gryffindor captain the past few years."

"We're so happy for you. Rose tells us you're an excellent chaser," she says, "I played for the house team in my day."

"That's where Rose gets it from them," Ellis says, flattering her, "One of our star players."

"Oh, stop it, Ellis," Rose says, "I'm no better than anyone else. If anything, Cho's our star player."

"I didn't do well against Harry last year in our last match," Cho says, "I practically handed him the snitch."

"Happens to the best of us, love," Rose's father says, "This year you'll do fine."

"Anyway," Rose's mother starts, turning to Rose, "Your father and are going to have brunch with Cho's parents. We'll be back in a few hours to take you to the match."

"You're welcome to have the boys over," she adds, "I've left you plenty of food."

"Thanks, mum!" she says, eager to get away from her parents embarrassment.

Rose zips up the tent behind her as all of her friends file in, shutting out the noise to the outside. "God they are so embarrassing," she groans.

"They're cute!" Ellis says, biting into an apple, leaning over her kitchen table, "You look extraordinarily like your mother."

"It's the hair," Rose says, "Though hers has been fading in recent years."

"Would you like something to eat?" Rose turns to Charlie and Cho, "I see your brother has found the kitchen soon enough."

Ellis laughs and says, "Your mother said to help ourselves and I did."

"You were too busy moaning," he grins, taking another large bite.

The four friends slump down into the chairs beside the fire, Rose and Charlie sharing the loveseat. Charlie throws his arm over the top of it and very nearly around her. They talk about quidditch for a long while but soon the conversation switches to personal topics. "I can't believe you two," Ellis says, kicking his feet up, "When I met you both you were just little girls."

"I'm worried about you two," he adds, "When all the boys come calling for you."

"There's no boys," Cho says.

"Except Roger Davies," Rose laughs.

"It was not a date!" Cho protests, "He asked me out but I declined. We discussed quidditch that's all."

"Alright, alright," Rose says, "Just teasing you."

"What about you two over there?" Cho gestures to Rose and Charlies, "You're practically married already."

Ellis looks, opened-mouthed, at his brother but he turns away from him. It's clear Charlie had not mentioned his apparent love for Rose. "Everyone knows Rose fancies Harry Potter," Charlie sighs.

"Do not," Rose groans, "I've told you time after time that he's just a friend."

Cho's eyebrow twitches as they discuss Harry. It has become clear in recent weeks that Cho has developed feelings for him too. As Rose denies her crush on him it makes Cho feel better, but hurts Rose deeply. She hasn't quite let the prospect of him go.

"In any case," Ellis smirks, looking to his brother, "Make sure these two are alright, will you?"

"He's never let us down yet," Rose looks up to him.

"I've got to go find Oliver," Ellis says, standing, "He's got our tickets."

"Aren't you going to be sitting with us?" Cho asks.

"No," Ellis says, "We'll be a few rows up with the rest of the team."

"I'll come by later after the match," he says, clapping his hand on the back of the loveseat as he walks by, "I'll see you later."

The trio decides to venture away from the tent a while and visit their other friends. They spoke to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley for a long while about quidditch but Charlie was touchy. Rose had a feeling that no matter what she said, he'd still have resentment towards him. She feels terribly about it but there's nothing she can do. She'll follow her heart, whatever happens this year, even if it means being alone.

They see Evan Perks along the way back to Rose's parents, and leave Charlie with him. He'd been with two girls too long, he needs to be with his other friends for a while, or at least for an hour or two before the match.

"These stairs are murder," Cho says as she climbs the 30th flight to the Minister's box.

"When I visited Poppy over the summer they had stairs that moved," Rose says, "Not like Hogwarts, I mean, really moved. You'd stand on one and it would carry you all the way up."

"It's funny we live in the magical world," Cho starts, "But there are still wonders to behold elsewhere."

"I can't understand why some hate muggles or muggle-borns," Rose says, "When we have so much we could learn from them."

"Here," Charlie's mother says.

They file into the box, one by one, looking out into the stadium as some hundred thousand witches and wizards find their seats. The minister's box is situated exactly between the two golden goal posts. They'd have a perfect view. Charlie and his family leads them down the first row of purple chairs, towards the end. Rose looks up and sees Lucius Malfoy, his son, Draco, and his wife sitting in the row behind them, several seats away. She turns away quickly, hoping he won't see her.

The Minister makes his rounds through the box, finally stopping at their group. "Ah, yes!" he exclaims, "You are the lovely young women I met at the Leaky Cauldron last year."

"Yes, sir," Rose says, taking his hand, "Thank you for having us."

"Oh, it's nothing," he says, "When I heard the daughter of the woman who saved my life all those year ago wanted to go to the World Cup I knew there'd be no better place for you!"

He continues down the line, greeting her mother and father, Cho's parents, and Charlie's family. Rose glances down the row and sees The Weasleys. She waves hello to Ginny and takes her seat.

"Everyone ready?" Ludo Bagman asks, stepping forward, "Minister?"

"Sonorus!" he says, pointing at his throat, "Ladies and gentlemen . . . welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce . . . the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!" he says.

Half of the stadium bursts out into applause, excited. "What the hell are those?" Rose says, grabbing the omnioculars to see below.

"Veela!" she says, looking next to her.

Their long silvery hair flows behind them as they dance in their scarlet robes. "C-Charlie? Are you alright?" Cho asks.

Rose turns to look at him. He's sitting right beside her but she hardly noticed what he was doing. His eyes are glossed and vacant, a wide smile beaming from his face. Rose waves her hand over his eyes. He frowns upon their absence, but as soon as they reappear he resumes smiling.

She looks around, seeing the other men behaving strangely. Harry Potter is nearly climbing out of the box. "Harry, no!" Hermione yells, tugging him back over.

The veela disappear, under the stands and the men begin to get irritated, booing louder than Rose had ever heard before. "Bring back the girls!" someone behind her yells.

She looks up just soon enough to see Narcissa Malfoy elbow her son hard in the ribs. "Charlie, Charlie," she says, "They're not girls, they're veela. They're really quite horrible."

"Ugh," he says, holding his head, "Why would they do that?"

"And now," roars Ludo Bagman's voice, "kindly put your wands in the air . . . for the Irish National Team Mascots!"

A great green and gold comet bursts over the head, circling the pitch, splitting into two smaller comets, headed for the goalposts. A rainbow bursts between them and the crowd goes wild for the excellent fireworks display. The two comets come back together, forming a great shimmering shamrock. "Those are leprechauns!" Rose exclaims, handing the omnioculars to Cho.

It was true, the shamrock was comprised of some thousand leprechauns, each holding a gold or green light. The shamrock soars high above the stands, like a cloud. It begins to rain. Several hundred thousand galleons rains from the sky. "My god!" Rose says as the gold pelts her from above.

She could hardly see her feet anymore. She scoops a handful up and puts as much as she can fit into her pockets. "We're rich!" Cho says, doing the same.

"How can they afford to do this?" Rose asks.

"Who cares?" Charlie says, stuffing gold coins anywhere he has room.

The shamrock begins to disperse as they join the veela down below to watch the match.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome — the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you — Dimitrov!"

A scarlet blur zooms onto the field as those in the crowd dressed in scarlet explode into wild applause.

"Ivanova! Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand — Krum!" Bagman says.

"Krum!" Rose bellows, pounding on her seat.

Charlie grins at the sight of her. "Best seeker in the world!" she adds.

"And now, please greet — the Irish National Quidditch Team!" yells Bagman, "Presenting — Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand — Lynch!"

"Yes!" Rose cheers, her rosette screaming louder than ever as seven green blurs stream out onto the pitch.

The Irish national anthem plays loud, disjointed, as all the Irish fans begin to wave their flags at various starting points.

"Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" screams Bagman, just having announced the referee, "And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!"

"I've never seen anything like this!" Rose says as she watches the game intently, "This is the best thing I've ever seen!"

The Irish chasers are so in-sync, Rose thinks they're practically sharing the same mind. Ireland is the first to score, but Bulgaria was close behind, Krum pulling a dangerous Wronski Feint.

"Penalty to Ireland!" Bagman bellows.

The leprechauns twist and turn, forming the letters HA HA HA HA, angering the veelas. They stand, flip their hair, and begin dancing and singing again. Rose covers Charlie's ears, "Bloody hell, not again."

He looks at her apologetically and looks at the spectacle down below. The referee flexes his muscles and poses in front of the veela, transfixed. A mediwizard kicks him hard in the shins, snapping him out of it.

"And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots!" Bagman says. "Now there's something we haven't seen before...Oh this could turn nasty…."

The Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov and Vulchanov fly up to the referee, arguing with him furiously. Several seconds later, he waves his arms and blows his whistle twice, awarding a second penalty to Ireland.

"Thanks for that," Charlie says, "I'd very much like to not react to that but I can't help it!"

"I know, I know," Rose says, "Did a report on veelas last year for Lupin. I don't blame you."

"Foul!" Bagman bellows as Dimitrov skins Moran, deliberately trying to smash into him.

The leprechauns reform into a rather rude hand sign. The veela, at the opposite side of the field turn angry and start for them, throwing what appears to be balls of fire. Their faces change and twist, into horrible beaked, winged creatures, disgusting. "What the hell are those things?"

"That's what a veela truly is," Rose says, "Still want to drool over them?"

"I-I'm good," he stutters, surprised.

Cho and Rose clutch their chests with laughter. As the ministry wizards on duty flood onto the ground below, the game continues and the quaffle changes hands. "Levski — Dimitrov — Moran — Troy — Mullet — Ivanova — Moran again — Moran — MORAN SCORES!"

The Irish supporters applaud furiously, Rose included. One of the Irish beaters swings his bat hard, hitting Viktor Krum in the nose. Blood pours out of it like a faucet but the referee doesn't notice, as his broom's on fire. "I should like to do that to Draco Malfoy!" Charlie hisses into Rose's ear, glancing up at him.

"Go for it," Rose says, "Nothing could screw up his weasel-y face any more than it is now. Send him to the hospital wing this season. I beg of you."

"I love it when you talk violence," he grins, throwing his arm around her.

Rose chooses to ignore it, or at least accept it. She's far too wrapped up in the game to give the gesture a second thought.

Lynch suddenly spots the snitch, diving for it. Krum spots it too, and tailing him, he sends buckets of blood flying through the air. "They're going to crash!" Cho squeeks.

Lynch hits the ground hard but Krum survives, holding the little golden snitch high into the air. "It's over," Cho groans.

"No, Cho!" Rose says, "Look! Look! Ireland won by ten points!"

It's true, Ireland won 170 to 160, not a landslide, but a win none the less. "IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouts, surprised.

"KRUM GETS THE SNITCH — BUT IRELAND WINS — good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!" he adds.

The crowd roars, Ireland's won, and the Irish national anthem plays loud again.

Rose coughs loudly as they walk back through the mayhem to their tents. "Are you alright?" Charlie asks.

"My voice is hoarse from yelling during the match," she says, rubbing her throat.

"I'll make you some tea," he says, "This is our tent."

"Mum, Dad, hold up," Rose says, "Can I go over with Charlie for a cup of tea?"

"You go celebrate," her father says, brandishing a bottle of firewhiskey, "We're going to have some drinks."

"I want you home by midnight," Rose's mother says, "And, Charlie, no funny business."

"No, ma'am," he says, "My brother will be back any moment."

Charlie and Rose's parents sing the Irish national anthem as they march away, back to the Macguffin tent. "Cho, you want some tea?" Rose asks.

"I think I'll just go back home," Cho says, "I've got a headache from all the noise, you know?"

"Alright then," Rose says, following Charlie into the tent.

He puts a kettle on as Rose sits at the dining room table. "What a game," she remarks.

"Yeah," Charlie says, "Best match I've ever been to."

"Don't let your brother hear that," Rose teases.

"He won't be coming back for a while," Charlie says, "He's with his friends. I'm not even sure he  _is_ coming back for the night."

"But you told my mum," Rose starts.

"I know what I told her," he says, taking the boiling kettle off the stove, "Relax. I just thought it would be better without our parents breathing down our necks."

"Oh," Rose says, "Okay."

"I thought Cho would come," he says, "Honestly."

"No funny business," she waggled her finger at him, impersonating her mother, as he slides over the cup of tea.

Charlie laughs heartily and pours one for himself. "That feels good," he says sinking down into the loveseat beside her, "None of us will have voices tomorrow."

"It already feels better," Rose says, clearing her throat, "Really better, actually."

"It should," he says, "I made you  _Sir Wagglesworth's Sore Throat Remedy_."

"You think of everything," Rose says.

An awkward silence ensues, only broken by the feeble yelling of Rose's rosette. They sip their tea awkwardly, both not knowing what to do. "You should come see my brother play sometime," he says, "They're alright, but Ellis is trying to piggyback this into something bigger. Get the experience, you know?"

"Maybe next year we'll be sitting in the stands with a hundred-thousand people cheering him on," Rose smiles.

"And you in a few more," Charlie grins.

"Oh, please," Rose says, "I'm not that good of a keeper. There's plenty better."

"You're the best keeper I know," Charlie says, "And the best person I know."

"Oh, stop," Rose blushes.

"You truly are," he says, "No veela can compare to you."

"A high compliment," she laughs, placing her cup down on the table, "But you should have seen your face!"

Charlie places his own next to hers, bumping the handle. "I look at you the same way," he says, "You just never see me."

He reaches out to her, rubbing his fingers along the four leaf clover and then down the side of her face. She leans into him, nearly pressing her lips to his when  _bam!_ An explosion so big goes off outside that they both jump.

"What the hell was that?" Rose stands up, ignoring what almost just happened.

"Probably just the Irish," Charlie says, "Or the Bulgarians, upset they lost."

"No," Ellis says, opening the tent flap, "We have to get out of here."

"What's happened?" Charlie asks, standing.

"Death eaters," he says, "Follow me, run!"

Rose pulls out her wand and flies out the door. Charlie grabs her hand tight as they follow Ellis away from the burning tents, mass of people, and soaring spells. They flee into the woods, stopping halfway through. "I can apparate us out of here but I can only do one at a time," Ellis says, quickly.

"Rose first," Charlie says, "Make sure she's safe."

"Charlie, no!" but her words are lost on him as Ellis grabs her hand and she feels a jerk at her navel and shes being compacted, twisted, through space.

"Where are we?" Rose asks as they land in the field of an unfamiliar farmhouse.

"My house," Ellis says quickly, "Go inside, I'll come back with Charlie."

 _Pop!_ He disapparates. Rose shakes with fear as she grasps for the doorknob, half unable to turn it. She sits at the table by the window, lighting one small candle for light, as she waits for Ellis's return.  _Crack, crack!_ Several minutes later. Rose flies to the back door.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hooper!" Rose exclaims, "I hope it's alright, Ellis told me to go inside."

"Are you hurt dear?" his mother asks, cupping Rose's face in her hands, hugging her, "Where are my boys?"

"Ellis apparated me first," Rose squeaks, "He went back for Charlie but neither of them has come back."

"We should go look for them, Frank," his mother, Mathilda, says, turning to Charlie's father.

"We'll never find them in that mayhem," Frank says, "They're strong, they'll be alright."

"If they don't come back in fifteen minutes we'll go look for them," he adds.

Mathilda nods furiously, hands shaking as bad as Rose's, leading her into the house. She hands Rose a knitted blanket as they sit by the window. Soft tears fall over her face. Mathilda rubs her hand, "Everyone will be alright," she says, "Frank's sending word to your parents in Inverness now."

"Practically everyone I love is at that game," Rose says, "What if they're-"

She stops herself before she can finish her thought.  _Crack!_ Two figures drop to their knees in the backyard. The two women run out of the house to check. "Oh thank goodness," she says, seeing both of her sons."

"Charlie got jinxed," Ellis says, standing.

There are cuts all over his hands, his jeans are ripped, and he's covered with sweat, blood, and earth. Rose goes to Charlie, kneeling on the ground. He clutches his chest hard, out of breath, nearly vomiting. "Thats the apparating," Ellis informs them, "Someone knocked him out is all."

"Took me a while to find him," adds.

"Had to move," Charlie heaves, "Death...eaters...coming…"

He vomits into the grass beside him. Rose rubs his back affectionately. "I-I saw it in the sky," he says finally, "The dark mark."

Rose and Mathilda gasp. The dark mark was no laughing matter. "Let's get you inside," his mother says.

Rose rips off her blanket and wraps it around him. They prop him up in an armchair by the fire, back away, and await his story. "Rose and I were in the tent," he starts, "Just about to…"

He trails off and looks at Rose. Her eyes widen with a warning look. He reigns himself back in and says, "Anyway, Rose and I were in the tent when we heard a bang, like an explosion and Ellis came running in to warn us the death eaters had come."

"They were in all black, with metal masks to hide their faces. It was horrible. They had that muggle man and his family floating before them, humiliated, petrified," Rose adds, "They were throwing curses left and right, lighting things on fire."

"Your father and I ran for it," Mathilda says, turning to Rose, "Your mother and father got away. They should be safe."

"Did you see Cho Chang?" Rose asks.

Mathilda shakes her head. Rose exhales loudly. "We ran into the woods and Ellis apparated Rose here, but as that happened a death eater set the forest on fire so I had to run. I ran into Harry Potter and his friends but there was nothing I could do for them. Then I got hit with the jellylegs jinx and fell over. My wand rolled away from me. Thankfully a nice Irish bloke did the counter-curse and I was able to find Ellis."

"The important thing is that you're alright," his mother says, "I'll make some tea, we should have tea. And biscuits, never forget the biscuits.

"Sorry," Charlie says as his mother leaves the room, "And I'm also sorry that you had to watch me throw up."

"That's alright," Rose says, lowering her voice to a whisper, "Just don't try to kiss me again, will you?"

"I just got caught up in the excitement of it all," Charlie says, "I know you don't like me."

"I wouldn't say that," Rose says, "I'm just not looking to date anyone."

"So I still have a chance?" he asks.

"A fair shot, yes," Rose smiles.

"Really?" he asks, to be sure.

"Really,"

One cup of tea and several hours later there comes a tap at the large bay window in the living room. Mathila opens with window and Aya flies to Rose, two letters attached to her leg. She unfurls them quickly.

_Your mother and I got home safely, got Frank's letter, coming to pick you up in the morning. Be ready at Eight. Setting up a portkey. Love you,_

_-Dad_

She reads the second one:

_We're safe, with your parents, see you ASAP..._

_-Cho xx_

"Thank goodness," Rose says, tossing the notes to Charlie, looking at the clock.

"It's 5 o'clock," Mathilda says, "You two should probably get some sleep."

"I'm too wired to sleep," Charlie says, "That was terrifying."

Rose yawns and says, "I'm past the point of fear," she pauses, "I just can't wait until I see my family."

"You can sleep in my room if you want," Charlie says, "I'm going to stay here awhile."

"Alright," Rose concedes, tiredness getting the better of her.

Charlie leads her upstairs to a large wooden door. "Sorry for the mess," he says.

The place is practically immaculate. "What mess?" she asks.

"Usually it's cleaner," Charlie says, "But I've been away."

One sweater lays over the armchair in the corner. Rose rolls her eyes and sits on the edge of his bed. "Thanks for letting me use your room," she says.

"No problem," he remarks, "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

Rose climbs into his bed and pulls the covers up to her face. "All I can see is a tuft of red hair," he laughs, shutting the door behind him.

She breathes in deeply, his blankets smell like him. She sits up, looking around at his walls. She spots something on the far side, a writing desk, with paper all over it. She throws the covers aside and walks to it. Tiny drawings and scribbles litter the papers. She smiles as she picks up a drawing of the Hogwarts quidditch pitch, red hair noticeable by the far goal post. She picks up the Ravenclaw crest next, brilliant bronze and blue, discarding it for a starry night's sky, the moon shining down on Ravenclaw tower. She spies one last image, tucked underneath the rest.

It was her. Her own face beams up at her.  _I'm so glad I found you_ is written in the corner. She smiles, tucking it back into the pile, and climbs back into bed.

September 1st, 1994

The appearance of the death eaters at the World Cup had sent the wizarding world into a frenzy. How could something like that have happened underneath the noses of all those important ministry wizards? Rose couldn't answer that but she was happy when she was able to get home. She didn't want to leave Charlie, but she missed her parents and Cho. They cried when they finally saw her. The Macguffins spent their remaining week all together, as a family unit, even all traipsing down to Diagon Alley to get her school things.

Students on the train began to gossip and trade stories on the attack, scouring the Daily Prophet for any news. "I can't believe you two were there," Poppy says, "You could have died."

"Neither of us could have known this would happen, Poppy," Rose says, "We were only supposed to be there for a day."

"I wish we would have been together when it happened," Cho sighs, "At least you were with Charlie."

"Ellis came back and saved us, thank goodness he knows how to apparate," Rose says, "Otherwise I don't know what we would have done."

"What happened?" Marietta asks, dropping her book, listening intently for the first time in a long time.

"I was having a cuppa with Charlie and the death eaters came. Ellis came flying into the tent and we ran for it," Rose says, "He took me to their house first and when they came back for Charlie he was gone and the trees were on fire."

"Charlie says he was jinxed and someone helped him," Rose adds, "But it was like a half an hour before they came back. It was terrifying."

"I know," Cho says, "Your parents were so scared."

"They were so relieved when the Hoopers sent that letter," Cho adds.

"So wait, you were at Charlie's place then?" Amelia asks.

"Ellis hadn't ever been to Inverness," Rose says, "He thought his house would be a good meeting point."

"I was so thankful that you sent word with Aya," Rose sighs, putting her face into her hands, "I can't believe this happened."

"Nobody can," Millie says, "It's an international scandal!"

"It's not only that," Cho says, "But my mother told me there's going to be something happening at Hogwarts this year, and this attack put that in jeopardy."

"What's happening, Cho?" Poppy asks.

"Out parents can't tell us," Marietta interjects, "It's top secret."

"Right," Cho says, "Though my mum told me we'd be finding out about it tonight."

"I wonder what it is," Rose says, "And if we'll actually like it."

"My mum says it'll be fun," Cho says, "So I'm not sure."

The girls gossip for the next few hours and trade theories about the impending surprise. The trolley comes and goes, each girl getting a large amount of candy. Rose curls up in the corner by the window in her sweater, hugging her knees, cold. The train was never really that warm and as they head north, it only grows the colder. Rose just hopes there's no dementors nearby anymore. They'd better not be at the school again after what happened last year.

The girls take an empty carriage up to the school where they stop and look out the window over the grounds. "What is everyone looking at?" Rose asks.

"Look, there's a flying carriage!" Poppy points.

Four beautiful white flying horses pull a brilliant blue, gilded carriage through the air, over the grounds, settling next to the black lake. Suddenly, a huge ship bursts out from under the water, soaring high into the sky, bobbing and weaving, shedding all the water on the decks as though somebody had used the tergeo charm on it.

Professor McGonagall ushers the students inside, into the great hall, rounding up the first years. The sorting hat begins immediately to sing….

_A thousand years or more ago_

_When I was newly sewn,_

_There lived four wizards of renown,_

_Whose names are still well known:_

_Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,_

_Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,_

_Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,_

_Shrewd Slytherin, from fen._

_They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,_

_They hatched a daring plan_

_To educate young sorcerers_

_Thus Hogwarts School began._

_Now each of these four founders_

_Formed their own house, for each_

_Did value different virtues_

_In the ones they had to teach._

_By Gryffindor, the bravest were_

_Prized far beyond the rest;_

_For Ravenclaw, the cleverest_

_Would always be the best;_

_For Hufflepuff, hard workers were_

_Most worthy of admission;_

_And power-hungry Slytherin_

_Loved those of great ambition._

_While still alive they did divide_

_Their favourites from the throng,_

_Yet how to pick the worthy ones_

_When they were dead and gone?_

_Twas Gryffindor who found the way,_

_He whipped me off his head_

_The founders put some brains in me_

_So I could choose instead!_

_Now slip me snug about your ears,_

_I've never yet been wrong,_

_I'll have a look inside your mind_

_And tell where you belong!_

The hat stops singing and the first years are sorted. Somehow, they look even smaller to Rose now than they did before. She found it hard to believe she was ever that small at all. That time in her life seems so far away, yet it was only a few short years ago. She didn't even know Poppy, Cho, or any of her current friends until three years ago. She's glad she'd gotten thrown in with them at the get-go, who knows what would have happened to her if she fell in with the Slytherins. She shuddered to think.

"Now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well. You see Hogwarts has been chosen…" Dumbledore starts but is interrupted by Mr. Filch running across the hall.

Poppy lets out a low laugh as he whispers in the headmaster's ear. He runs back through the tables, into the hall. "He's mad," Poppy remarks.

"So Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Tri-Wizard tournament. Now for those of you who do not know, the tri-wizard tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests," Dumbledore explains, "From each school a single contestant is selected to compete. Now let me be clear, if chosen you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contests are not for the faint hearted, but more of that later. For now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of magic and their headmistress Madam Maxime!"

The door bursts open and a group of girls dressed in blue dances down the center aisle, butterflies exploding out of nowhere as they sigh, exasperated, to gaggles of teenage boys.

Rose smiles at the eldest, tallest, and most beautiful girl as she passes by. Their enormous Headmistress takes her seat at the table and the Beauxbatons girls sit at the Ravenclaw table, squeezing in at various places. "I am Fleur Delacour," the tall girl says, sitting next to Cho, speaking in a thick French accent, "We are from France."

"Nice to meet you," Rose says, introducing all the members of their group on by one.

Dumbledore makes to speak again. "And now our friends from the north, please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and the high master Igor Karkaroff," Dumbledore says as boys, dressed in thick brown furs bust through the doors.

They dance, tribally, with fire, blowing it into a great eagle, which fades away into nothingness. The Headmaster files in behind the boys, ushering in another. "That's…" Rose starts.

"Viktor Krum!" Charlie finishes for her, leaning out of the table to talk to her.

"I know!" Rose mouths, turning back to the Durmstrang boys. They take their seats with the Slytherins.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," Dumbledore says, "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

"You 'ave beautiful hair, Rose," Fleur says, turning to Rose as she searches for familiar food.

The house elves had pulled out all the stops for the feat, including providing french and Eastern-European dishes.

"Thank you, Fleur," Rose says, "Yours is as well."

"Ah, well I am part veela, you know!" Fleur mentions, "Most of them 'ave silver 'air!"

"Oh," Cho says, "Were you at the quidditch cup then?"

"Oh, yes," Fleur says, wrinkling her nose, "And it was despicable they way they 'dey behaved."

"They should be ashamed," she adds.

"Ooh!" Fleur says, looking at Harry Potter at the Gryffindor table, "Bouillabaisse!"

"Is that the French word word for  _hot stuff?"_ Poppy laughs as she races to the table, "Oh! The pudding. Not Harry, the pudding, look!"

Fleur grabs the bouillabaisse and saunters away, leaving a trail of goggling boys in her wake. "She's right about being part veela," Charlie says, "Look at them!"

"Then why isn't it affecting you?" Rose asks.

"Since the world cup," Charlie starts, "Well, they kind of scare me now."

Rose laughs and turns back to her food. "So how was your trip?" Amelia asks.

"It was a bit bumpy," Fleur's friend Nicole answers, "We wanted to take a portkey but Madam Maxime wanted to make a grander entrance."

"It was grand," Rose says, "We were all watching from the windows."

"I'm glad you think so," Fleur says, "Our Headmistress will do anything to compete with Karkaroff."

The students of all three schools finish their feast, including the dessert which features numerous French pastries, much to Rose's delight. "And now, Professor Flitwick, who will lead all of the Hogwarts students in our school song," Dumbledore says, gesturing to Flitwick at the podium, "Take it away, professor!"

A red ribbon bursts out of Dumbledore's wand as Flitwick gestures for the students to rise. "Oh bloody hell, here we go," Poppy breathes as she stands. The students begin to sing:

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald,_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling,_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot._

The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students clap politely but seem to be quite uncomfortable.

"That was -erm…" Fleur trails off, " _Unique."_

"We're not all as foolish as that song makes us out to be," Cho explains, "It seems almost stupid after your entrances."

"Oh come now," Delphine says, "We knew right away that you Ravenclaws were more like us."

"Will you be staying with us in Ravenclaw tower?" Rose asks.

"I don't think so," Fleur says, "I think we will be staying in our carriage."

"But I should like to see it!" she adds, "I 'ave read about it an  _Hogwarts, A History_!"

The girls trade stories about their school, telling each other of the wonders to behold. The conversation soon turns to the Triwizard Tournament. "Are you all here to enter the tournament?" Rose asks.

"No, not really," Fleur says, "A few might but many of those we brought with us are too young."

"There's an age limit?" Amelia asks.

"Oh, yes!" Delphine says, "Haven't they told you?"

"We didn't hear about the tournament until today," Cho says, "They wanted to surprise us."

"Naturally we had to know a few weeks beforehand," Fleur says, "We found out after that nasty business at the World Cup. Many of 'ze girls did not come after that."

"That's a shame," Poppy says, "That a few horrible people can ruin it for all of us."

"It's just as well," Fleur says, smiling, her teeth perfectly straight and white, "Less competition!"

Dumbledore approaches the podium to speak once again. He clears his throat and all falls silent.

"Your attention please! I would like to say a few words. Eternal glory, that is what awaits the student who wins the triwizard tournament. But to do this that student must survive three asks. Three extremely dangerous tasks," Dumbledore says.

"Wicked," Fred and George remark as few feet away from Rose.

Fleur sits across from her, hanging on Dumbledore's every word. It's clear she's interested in entering. "For this reason the ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this we have the head of the department of International Magical Cooperation, Mister Bartemius Crouch."

Thunder and lightning erupts suddenly overhead, several students start to scream. Someone at the head of the hall jabs their wand in the air and returns the enchanted ceiling to normal. "That's Mad Eye Moody!" Charlie remarks.

"The auror?" Cho says, taken aback, "What's he doing here?"

He walks the length of the hall, magical eye whizzing about in its socket. "He looks- unusual," Poppy remarks.

Moody takes a sip from a flask he pulls out of his pocket, and steps back, allowing Barty Crouch to step forward. "After much deliberation the ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the triwizard tournament," he says, "This decision is final."

"That's rubbish!" George Weasley yells over general rumblings and booing, "You don't know what you're doing!"

"Silence!" Dumbledore asks.

Dumbledore runs his hands over a box, turning it into a metal goblet. It's unlovely at best, at least until it erupts with blue flames. "The goblet of fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flames before this hour on Thursday night," he says, warning, "Do not do so lightly, if chosen there's no turning back."

"As from this moment he triwizard tournament has begun," he adds.

September 6th, 1994

"Alastor Moody," Professor Moody says, scribbling his name on the blackboard in front of the defence against the dark arts classroom.

"Ministry malcontent. And your new defence against the dark arts teacher," he says, "I'm here because Dumbledore asked me, end of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?"

His magical eye whizzes around the room looking for hands but he finds none. "When it comes to the dark arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, which of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?"

"Three sir," Hermione answers.

"And they are so named?" Moody asks.

"Because they unforgivable. Use of any of them will.."

Moody finished for her, "Will earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban. Correct," he says, though awarding her no points.

Moody strikes Rose as the type of man who doesn't believe in points. "Now the ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do," he starts, "I say different! You need to know what you're up against, you need to be prepared…"

"You need to find somewhere else to put your chewing gum other than the underside of your desk Mr Finnigan!" he yells, though not facing the class.

"Ah, no way!" Seamus says in hushed tones to Charlie, "The old codger can see out the back of his head!"

"And hear across classrooms!" Moody says, throwing a piece of chalk at him.

Seamus swears loudly as he rubs the dust off his robes. "Which curse shall we see first?" he asks, walking around the room, "Weasley!"

"Yes," Ron says.

"Give us a curse," Moody demands.

"Well, my dad did tell me about one," Ron says, "The Imperius curse."

"Ahhh yes, your father would know all about that," Moody says, turning from him, back to the front desk, "Gave the ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago."

"Perhaps this will show you why," he says, taking out a jar with a large spider in it.

Poppy tuts loudly. "Imperio!" he says, jabbing it with his wand.

He sends the spider flying through the air, towards Ron and Harry. Rose hears Poppy hold her breath as it flies by her. The spider lands on the desk in front of her and makes to climb up her sleeve. "Oh no you don't," Rose says, brandishing a copy of  _A History of Magic._

"Don't worry, she's harmless," Moody says, "But if she bites, she's lethal."

Professor Moody flicks it away before she can kill it, much to Poppy's relief. As Draco laughs at her, Moody flicks it at his face. "What are you laughing at?" he asks.

He sends the spider towards the window, "Talented, isn't she? What should I have her do next?" he asks, "Jump out the window? Drown herself?"

He dangles the spider over a bucket of water, it wriggles, helpless. "Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only do did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the imperious curse," Moody says, drawing the spider back towards him, "But here's the rub, how do we sort out the liars?"

"Another.. another.." he says, "Come on come on. Longbottom is it? Up."

Neville Longbottom stands up. "Professor Sprout says you have an aptitude for Herbology," he says as Neville considers what he's going to say.

"There's the..um...cruciatus curse," he says.

"Correct, correct! Come, come," Moody says, "Particularly nasty...the torture curse."

"Crucio!" he says, pointing his wand tip at the spider.

It squeals and writhes with pain. "Stop it, can't you see it's bothering him stop it!" Hermione yells.

Neville stands back, disturbed, returning to his seat, shocked. "Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse, Miss Granger," Moody hisses.

Hermione shakes her head no, though Rose knows full well she knows the third curse. "Avada Kedavra!" he says, killing the creature.

Hermione looks away from it. "The killing curse. Only one person is known to have survived it," Moody says, approaching Harry's desk, "And he's sitting in this room."

"Anyway," he says, turning away from them, "Pick your favourite curse and write me 400 words for next time."

" _Favourite_  curse?" Rose protests, "How could you have a favourite curse?"

"Pick one you least hate then, Miss Macguffin," he says.

"Rubbish," she says, "That's horrible."

"Do you have a problem with my assignment?" he asks.

"I do, if you must know," Rose says, "But I'll do it nonetheless."

"I'll have my essay on the ethics of using dark magic as a cheap trick to impress kids on your desk Monday morning, Professor," she mocks him, out of earshot on their way out.

Seamus chuckles as he and Charlie race by, eager to spend some time with the guys before dinner. "See you, Rosie!" he says, "Pops!"

Rose waves him goodbye, still angry with Moody. "Poor Neville," Poppy sighs, "I wonder why he got so upset."

"The real problem is that Moody didn't notice," she says, "This guy's a total psycho."

"That's for sure," Poppy says, shuddering, "I think I'm going to have spider nightmares forever now."

"I was going to kill it just to spite him but he beat me to it," Rose says.

"I'm just glad he threw it in Malfoy's face," Poppy laughs, "Literally!"

Rose laughs and says, "I know! At least he doesn't seem to favor the Slytherins."

"Yeah, he hates everyone," Poppy sighs.

"Fancy sitting by the lake before we eat?" Rose asks, "I could stand for some fresh air."

Poppy nods and they proceed to the lake, which is packed with students. "What's that?" Rose asks as she passes Seamus, Dean, Charlie, and some other boys she doesn't recognize kicking around a strange black and white ball.

"It's called football," Poppy laughs, "It's a muggle sport. Basically you have to get the ball through the goalpost."

"Sort of like ground quidditch," she adds, "Except you don't have as many things trying to kill you."

Rose and Poppy plop down on the edge of the lake, close enough to the game to still watch it, far enough away to still talk freely.

"Is that Charlie that's playing?" Poppy asks, peering at the boys.

Rose nods and looks to them. "He's very good," Poppy says, "For a boy that didn't growing up playing it."

"He talked about it that night I stayed with his family," Rose says, "He said Seamus turned him onto it."

"I didn't know Seamus was muggleborn," Poppy says, "Or really anything about that night you stayed over Charlie's house."

"Hes halfblood," Rose corrects her, ignoring the comment about what happened after the World Cup.

"C'mon, Rose," Poppy says, "You've been holding out on me big time."

"Fine," Rose sighs, "Promise you won't say anything?"

"Always," Poppy says, "Now, spill."

"Well we sort of nearly kissed," Rose whispers.

"What?" she says, "When?"

"At the World Cup," Rose explains, "We were in his tent having a cup of tea and were about to kiss. And that was when the Death Eaters came."

"I thought you liked Harry," Poppy says.

"I did," Rose says bitterly, "But Harry practically doesn't even know I exist. He's got a thing for Cho now, anyway."

She hasn't quite let Harry Potter go yet, it's still hard for her.

"What about Charlie then?" Poppy prys.

"I like him too," Rose sighs, "But I'm really confused and I feel horrible. I don't know what to do."

"Well, its pretty obvious he love you, Rose," Poppy says, "But you can only string him along for so long before he gets disinterested."

"You think so?" Rose asks, worried.

Poppy shakes her head rapidly, "You know, Rose, he's a good guy. You'd be so lucky to have him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose asks.

"Only that not everyone can be Harry Potter," she sighs, "I think it's time you realized that."

Rose looks one last time to Charlie before she turns back to the lake and changes the subject to their charms homework. Poppy is right, in more ways that one, but Rose isn't sure she  _can_ let Harry go. It's not like she can choose who to love.

Or can she?

September 8th, 1994

The students of Durmstrang, Beauxbatons and Hogwarts gather in the assembly room for the announcement of the competitors in the triwizard tournament. "I wish we could enter," Charlie says, sitting directly above her.

"You're too young," Rose warns him, "None of us could handle this from what I've read."

"I could do it!" he protests.

"Why do boys think they can do everything?" Amelia says as she sinks down next to her, "Always trying to break the rules and pass it off as bending them."

"Like Fred and George," Poppy laughs, "Honestly I don't know how they thought that aging potion would work."

"It could have, though," Charlie says, "But Dumbledore's too smart."

"C'mon, Charlie," Rose says, "The Weasley twins are not exactly the brightest wand tips in the bunch."

Charlie rolls his eyes as Dumbledore starts to speak, "Sit down please!" he says, "And now the moment you've all been waiting for. The champions selection!"

Dumbledore approaches the cup, the flames turn from blue to red and a slightly burned piece of parchment flies out and into his hand. "The Durmstrang champion is… Viktor Krum!"

"Let's just hope he doesn't finish too early before the tournament's over," Charlie chuckles, "He has a history of letting other people win."

Rose leans back, punching his calf. He laughs as he rubs his leg. "Shut it," she says.

The Durmstrang students cheer as Krum rises and is ushered to the trophy room. Another piece of paper flies out. "The champion from Beauxbatons...Fleur Delacour!"

Rose and her friends applaud loudly, with the other Ravenclaws and Beauxbatons students, as Fleur stands and exits the room, every male eye in the room glued to her behind.

"The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore starts as the last piece of parchment flies out, "Cedric Diggory!"

The Hogwarts students explode into applause as Cedric stands, beams, and follows his fellows out into the trophy room. "Excellent! we now have our three champions! But in the end only one will go down in history," Dumbledore says, grasping the cloth covering a large object on the far side of the room, "Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory, the triwizard cup!"

He pulls the cloth off, revealing a brilliantly decorated trophy. But in the corner of Rose's eye she sees something else glowing. "The cup!" she breathes as the goblet of fire glows red once more.

"Harry Potter," he reads lowly, taking the paper that flies out of it, "Harry Potter!"

"Harry Potter!" he says a few seconds later as Harry does not show himself.

Rose watches him stand, stunned, half terrified. "How the hell did a fourth year manage that?" Charlie spits.

"He's a cheat!" a voice behind her yells, "He's not even seventeen yet!"

Harry approaches Dumbledore and takes the parchment with his name on it. He looks up, surprised that his name is really there. Dumbledore turns him around and in silence he marches up the steps to the trophy room.

"Rubbish!" several younger boys yell, "You can't let him enter."

"If you could all just calm down!" Professor McGonagall says, running forward as Dumbledore flies to the trophy room, "Professor Dumbledore is sorting it out."

"If you could all just return to your common rooms," Professor McGonagall says, "There's nothing left to see here tonight."

"I can't believe he'd do that," Charlie says as they climb the stairs to Ravenclaw tower.

"You don't honestly think he succeeded in putting his name in?" Rose says, "Someone else put it in."

"Are you defending him at a time like this?" Charlie turns on her, shaking his head, "You must really like him."

"What's gotten into you?" she asks, "Harry's not done anything to you."

"He's done plenty," Charlie says, "I'm just getting really sick of you thinking that the world revolves around him."

"I don't think that," Rose protests, "You're being unfair!"

"Unfair is what you're doing to me," he mutters.

"What was that?" Rose asks, "Are you mumbling at me now?"

"Yes I am!" he says, "Not that you can hear me at all. Harry's the only one you have ears for!"

"A GOLDEN SNITCH!" Rose yells at the eagle knocker, repeating its question over and over.

She flies into the common room, away from him. "Rose, Rose!" he chases after her, "I didn't mean-"

"Save it!" Rose screams, terrifying a group of younger girls.

He reaches out to her but she pulls away, headed upstairs. "Leave me alone," she calls, wanting to be alone.

How could he?

November 14th, 1994

Much had gone on in the weeks since Rose had fought with Charlie. Their irritation with one another lasted for a very short time, Charlie realizing his mistake straight away, and Rose only ignoring him for two days. The two made amends, having several talks, agreeing that Harry Potter would not be a topic for future discussions. She explained her feelings for Charlie, which seemed to help him understand her predicament. He agreed to give her space when it comes to relationships, at least for a while.

Things wirth Moody seemed to blow over, though Rose still harbors some resentment towards him. She puts that aside, to do her work, and tried not to get emotionally invested in the class. Something was odd about him, and she didn't like it. She couldn't understand how he could be such a 'great man' as everyone said. He was mad because of years of paranoia, no doubt, but why Dumbledore thought he'd be a good professor escapes her.

 _The Champions Are Selected,_ the headline of the daily prophet reads as Aya drops it into Rose's lap at breakfast. She rubs her feathers and gives her the crust off her toast before she flies away, back to the owlery. A picture of Harry Potter, like a deer in headlights, blinks up at her. She glances at the Gryffindor table to see him grabbing a slice of toast before reading. What must the article say that he can't even stay for breakfast? Ron gives him a dirty look as he leaves. Rose turns to the article,  _Harry Potter aged 12, suspect entrant in the triwizard tournament. His eyes swimming with the ghosts of his past as he speaks of his parents, cut down by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named when he was just a bouncing baby boy of one._

Poppy, reading over her shoulder exclaims, "How can anyone believe this woman?" She scoffs, "Harry's in our year. He's got to be fourteen, hasn't he?"

"You're right!" Rose says, finding the line of text, "This here says he's twelve!"

"Rita Skeeter has often had a way with words," Cho says, pausing to take a sip of pumpkin juice, "Or a way of twisting them, I should say."

"I saw them that day, you know," Amelia says, "She forced him to do the interview in a broom closet."

"How horrible," Rose reads on about his concerns for the game, "They shouldn't even let him compete."

"It's a binding magical contract," Poppy says, "Harry has no other choice."

"Did you read the bit about Hermione Granger?" Millie asks, sitting down, "Do you think it's true, her and Potter?"

"Who knows," Rose sighs, "They're very close. It's anybody's guess."

"Knowing Rita, probably not," Poppy laughs, "If she so much as got someone's age correct it would be a miracle.

"Rose, Rose!" Charlie bursts into the hall, "No quidditch this year!"

"You're joking!" she says, standing.

"I wish I was," he says, "I've been trying to figure out what's going on for weeks. Apparently since the triwizard tournament, the house cup is cancelled."

"But we've been practicing!" Rose protests, "We've got to go find Flitwick."

Rose glances up at the teacher's table and sure enough, Flitwick sits on an enchanted stool, raising him up high enough to reach all of the food. "Professor," Rose says, approaching the table, "No quidditch?"

"I'm sorry, Rose. I'd like to see Ravenclaw with the cup this year but it doesn't look like any quidditch is going to happen," Flitwick sighs, "It's the tournament, you see."

"So there's no chance at all?" Charlie asks.

"I'm afraid not," Flitwick says, "It's not up to me."

"Well," Rose sighs, "Thank you, Professor."

"We'll keep practicing," Rose says as they turn away, back to the table.

"Hey, maybe we can get a team together and play anyway," Charlie says, "Just for fun, you know?"

"Sounds fun," Rose says, "And we really should still be practicing if we're going to have a shot at next year."

"We can mix up the houses," Charlie says, "I'll put the word out, we can draw up some plans, post a sign up sheet outside the hall."

And so they do later that day, after getting Flitwick and Madam Hooch's approval, of course. They loved the idea, and suggested they even open it up to the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students. Rose secretly hopes she'll walk by and see Viktor Krum's name on the list. She'd kill for a chance to play alongside him.

November 21, 1994

"It's getting colder," Rose says, taking her gloves out of her pocket as she walks with her friends to Hogsmeade.

"It's almost winter," Cho says, "Feels like we just got to school yesterday."

"It's been so busy," Poppy says, "I'm surprised we're even able to go to Hogsmeade this year."

"They cancelled everything else," Rose breathes.

"How's your quidditch coming?" Poppy asks, "Well, we had ten names signed up yesterday, not including us, but Charlie thinks lots of people are going to just show up."

"Boys never sign up for things," Amelia says, "It's only the girls that plan ahead."

"Hey, who made the list?" Charlie says, tagging along with his friend Evan.

"Fine," Amelia concedes.

The large group makes its way to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer before breaking up into smaller groups. Rose lands herself with Charlie, Poppy, and Evan, all headed to Honeyduke's before they go back up to the castle to prepared for their impromptu match. "I might actually come and watch this time," Poppy says.

"Me too," Evan says, "You can sit with me."

"I'm not very fond of quidditch," he adds, "You're going to have to explain it to me. Muggleborn, you see."

"That's me as well," Poppy smiles, "Though with Rose and Cho I've picked a few things up."

"Is Cho coming?" Charlie asks.

"The whole Ravenclaw team, I think," Rose says, "If they're not, they're going to have hell to pay."

"You're going to make one hell of a quidditch captain," Charlie laughs.

"Roger's got a few more years left," Rose says, "And who says I'll be picked for captain?"

"It could be you!" she adds.

"Roger doesn't want it anymore," Charlie shakes his head, "He says he's got too much work coming up with his O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s.."

"That doesn't bode well for us," Rose says, "My work's enough already."

"Wait until you're a fifth year," Poppy says, "Cho says she's ready to cry everyday."

"This tournament doesn't help," Rose says, "I've been practicing my summoning charms in the library but the place is crawling with people. Everyone's talking about the first task, all day, all night."

"Jealous?" Evan asks, "You wouldn't actually want to compete, would you?"

"Maybe if I was seventeen," Rose admits, "But I know my magic isn't advanced enough for me to win."

"Rosie, you're practically the only one in our year than can do anything worth a damn," Charlie says, "Even Hermione Granger is struggling."

"It's no wonder," Poppy says, "With all the negative attention she's been getting. I'm surprised she's been able to keep it together this long."

"We'll see," Charlie says as they reach the courtyard of Hogwarts.

"Meet you on the pitch in two hours," he says, waving goodbye, "I'm going to grab some lunch."

"You've just eaten a whole sack of sweets!" Rose yells.

"Shut up, mum!" he retorts, laughing.

"Boys," Rose mutters, "Bottomless pits."

Two hours later Rose heads to the locker room, grabbing her broom and pads before heading to the pitch. She strides onto the field, a few minutes later, finding massive crowd waiting for her. The stands are nearly completely filled. "Merlin's beard!" Rose exclaims, spotting Charlie, "Is this all for our game?"

"I-I've got an inkling why they're here," Charlie stutters, gesturing to his left.

Just as she had hoped, Krum stands a few feet away, broom in hand, ready to play. "Let's go say hi," Rose says, grabbing him by the arm.

"No," Charlie protests, "I'll make a fool out of myself."

"I'll do the talking," Rose says, "C'mon, we finally have an excuse to speak to him!"

Rose heads for him, half dragging Charlie along with her, "Hi, I'm Rose Macguffin," she says, sticking her hand out, "Charlie and I organized this game."

Krum nods curtly and says in a thick Slavic accent, "I saw your sign up sheet in the hall," he says, "I didn't put my name on it because I didn't want to create a scene."

"But it seems I already have," he sighs, "I'm looking forward to playing quidditch again. With all the preparations for the games I haven't gotten the chance."

"Don't worry about it," Rose says, "The more the merrier."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Krum says, "I am sorry for ruining your game."

"Ruining it?" Charlie says, "It's an honour to play alongside you. You're one of the best quidditch players in the world."

"I am just a normal person," Krum sighs, "Who happens to play quidditch."

"Just as long as you play for our team," Rose laughs, turns away from him and clears her throat loudly.

"Ahem," she says, "AHEM!"

The players don't quiet. "Sonorus!" she says, pointing her wand tip at her throat, "Shut it!"

Her voice echoes through the stands and the players come to be silent. "Thank you," she says, reversing the spell, "To pick today's players we'll be drawing straws,"

"Whoever gets a short one, unfortunately will be an alternate for today's game, but will get an opportunity to play first should we hold another match," Rose says, passing around the straws, "My friend told me this is a good muggle way of deciding fairly."

"Out of the long straws, the red ones will be one team, and the blue the other," she explains, "You may decide amongst yourselves what positions you will play."

Rose picks herself a straw, long and red, thank goodness. Charlie brandishes his own blue one. "Just don't hit me with any bludgers," Rose warns him.

"Wouldn't think of it!" he grins.

Rose looks to Cho, "I'm sorry," she says, noticing her short straw, "I wish you could play."

"It's alright," Cho grins, "Because we get to watch Krum!"

She points a few yards away to see Viktor Krum holding his own red straw. Rose beams, she's definitely going to win now. "I guess you're going to be our seeker," Rose says, walking over to him, "All reds, over here!"

Roger Davies, Seamus Finnigan, Evan Perks, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Gemma Woodcroft are among their fellow players. From what little she knew of Seamus and Evan, they were athletic at the least. And how could they lose with Viktor Krum? The red team decides their positions, straps on red bandanas, and mounts their brooms. Charlie and the blue team follows suit.

Rose lists towards the bottom as Madam Hooch steps onto the field. "Quite the turnout!" she says, "I thought this was going to be a small game!"

"Sorry, Professor!" Rose says, "Viktor Krum showed up!"

"Oh my stars," she looks up, "Up with you, up, up! Let's get this match started!"

Madam Hooch blows her whistle as she throws the quaffle into the air, releasing the bludgers and the snitch. Rose is surprised to hear Lee Jordan's voice erupt through the pitch. "Roger Davies takes the quaffle," he says, passing it to Finnigan, and oooh! Stolen by Hooper."

Rose turns to see Charlie, with the quaffle, headed towards her. She spies two large Durmstrang boys, the beaters. What a change it is to see Charlie taking up his brother's old position. He'd be so proud. In her moment of nostalgia she nearly misses her save, still managing it, tossing it to Seamus. "Finnigan streams down the pitch- he scores! Ten points to Macguffin's team. The red team!"

A bludger streams past Rose's head, she ducks to avoid it. "Justin!" she bellows, "Get on those Durmstrangs!"

Justin nods and flies away, slamming a bludger towards their foreign visitors. "Hooper takes a shot at Macguffin and she saves it with her fingertips. Oh! She drops the quaffle before she can toss it. Here comes Davies! He dives! He saves it, but it's lost on him, falling back to Hooper's team."

The quaffle whizzes past Rose as a tall Beauxbatons girl takes a shot. Rose swears loudly and tosses it back to Seamus. He scores a few minutes later, bringing the score to 20-10, in Rose's favor. "I think Viktor Krum has spotted the snitch!" Lee bellows as Krum takes off, nearly knocking Davies off his broom in the process.

Gemma Woodcroft takes the opportunity to score, as the blue team's keeper stares at Krum, not defending his hoop. "Snap out of it!" Charlie bellows as the score increases, 30-10.

It's a sight to see up close, Krum going after the snitch, the Beauxbatons seeker doesn't have against him, as skilled as she is. He loops in circles confusing her, as he reaches out for the snitch and catches it. "Krum catches the snitch!" Lee bellows, "Red team wins!"

Krum holds it high as he takes it broom back down, into the pitch. The crowd roars, streaming onto the field. "Hey, Viktor, we're going to celebrate, down in the great hall before dinner, you should come."

"Too much attention," Krum says, "Everyone looks at me all the time."

"Well, you are famous," Rose says, "I don't wonder why."

"Thank you for letting me play, Rose," he says, tossing her the winning snitch, "It was fun."

I suppose it must have been boring for Krum to play against such pedestrian players, but it was a wonder to behold for everyone else. Rose smiles at her little Krum figuring from the world cup as she tucks the snitch next to it. She changes her clothes in preparation for the celebration ahead.

"You played well," Rose says, "Why weren't you one of the beaters?"

"Those Durmstrangs didn't speak good english," Charlie says, "And the fact that they were twice my size was a contributing factor."

He hands her a butterbeer and says, "You played good too."

"We had Krum," Rose says.

"I said  _you_ played good," he smiles, "Regardless of Krum."

"Thank you," she says, "This was fun, having quidditch again."

"I don't know if it'll happen again, though," Charlie frowns, "Madam Hooch is putting an end to it, too many people. She said they'd sooner reinstate quidditch this year than have another game."

"Oh well," Rose says, "So much for that."

November 24th, 1994

"It's a shame, all these 'Potter Stinks' badges," Rose frowns as they walk down to the newly built stands for the first task of the triwizard tournament, "You think Cedric's behind it?"

"No," Cho says, "We spoke the other day. He's truly very nice."

"And cute," Poppy elbows her, "Much cuter than Davies."

"Still," Rose says, "I'm not sure who to support."

"I'm rooting for Fleur," Poppy says, "She is our friend, after all."

"You're right," Rose says, "I'd rather root for a girl too, seeing as though she's the only one. It must be hard for her."

"She signed up for it," Cho reminds her.

The three girls climb the stands and find Charlie, saving them seats. Rose sinks down next to Charlie and says, "What the bloody hell is that sound?"

"Dragons," Charlie says, "By the forbidden forest."

"Really?" Rose's eyes widen, "How are they going to manage that?"

"Welcome to the first task for the Triwizard Tournament!" Dumbledore's voice sounds loud, magnified, "Each of our four competitors will have to face a dragon, randomly chosen a few minutes ago. Their task is to collect the golden egg below, which the dragon protects, by any means necessary. One cannot hope of moving on to the next task without collecting the egg."

Cedric Diggory emerges from the tent first, battling the Swedish Short Snout. Much to Rose's dismay, several of his tactics fail at first. It took him more than fifteen minutes to get the egg, and it nearly cost him his life multiple times.

Fleur steps out, trembling, facing the Welsh Green. Rose gasps as the dragon fire nearly misses her as she practically dances, ten minutes later, capturing the egg. Rose sighs with relief as she returns to safety.

Krum comes out next, battling the Chinese Fireball. Krum took care of his dragon even faster than Fleur had, causing the beast to shriek with pain. Rose shuddered to think what kind of magic would be able to make a dragon make that sound.

Rose shudders as Dumbledore says, "Three of our champions have now faced their dragons and so each one of them will proceed to the next task. And now our fourth and final contestant…" he pauses, "Harry Potter!"

Harry Potter emerges onto the rocky terrain, face to face with the nastiest dragon of them all, the Hungarian Horntail. "I can't watch," Rose turns away as the dragon fire blows past him.

Harry's wand flicks up over the rocks, performing a spell Rose knows all too well. Seconds later she looks up and points, "Look, the broom, the broom!"

Harry's firebolt flies through the sky towards him. He mounts it, zooming for the egg, but the Horntail blocks him. The Horntail tries to chase him, though he's chained, fighting its constraints hard. The chain snaps and the crowd gasps. The horntail is headed straight for them. Charlie throws himself over Rose, protecting her, as the stands snap and wood flies everywhere. Several student scream. Rose looks down at Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic below. "A-are you alright?" Rose asks, looking to Charlie.

"I think so," he says, rubbing his head, a small trickle of blood running down it, "I've got a cut but I think I'll be alright."

"You're not hurt are you?" he asks, as the students panic.

"No, no! You saved me!" Rose says, half crying, "You saved me!"

Rose kisses him hard on the lips. "Thank you!" she says, hugging him.

Charlie leans back, stunned. Rose could hardly believe he had just risked deadly injury for her. It would have been her that's bleeding if he hadn't protected her. Not all the heroic deeds of Harry Potter combined could equal that to her. "I can see the dragon," Poppy says, "And you're not going to like it."

"Is it standing on...Ravenclaw tower?" Rose asks, terrified.

"I think the ceiling of our room is gone," Poppy says, standing, "Someone should go help him!"

The dragon flies out of sight as everyone evacuates the damaged stands, cramming into the adjacent ones. A great crash sounds in the distance. "Bloody hell," Rose says, looking down, "I hope Harry's alright."

She squeezes Charlie's hand as they wait. "Oh my god, there he is!" Cho points.

Harry zooms into the stands, hand outstretched, grasping the golden egg as though it were nothing, like a snitch.

December 10th, 1994

Describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches, Rose copies into her notes at the end of transfiguration.

Their class had been practicing switching guinea fowl into guinea pigs. Poppy snorts as she spots Neville Longbottoms, his guinea pig still having many feather. Rose gives her a warning look.

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," Professor McGonagall says , shooting the pair an angry look, "I have something to say to you all.

"The Yule Ball is approaching — a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above — although you may invite a younger student if you wish —"

Lavender Brown interrupts her, shrieking with glee. Poppy rolls her eyes so had that Rose is afraid they'll go back into her head. "Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continues, "...and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then —"

She starts to circle the class, "The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to — er — let our hair down," she says.

"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall adds, "That we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."

"Or any student of Hogwarts school, mind you," she adds as the bell rings, "You all will be on your best behavior or I'll give you an end of year exam worse than you've ever seen!"

"Oh great now we have to get dates," Poppy groans, "We need to get new dress robes."

"I got a mailer yesterday," Rose says, "From Gladrag's. We should take a look at it tonight."

"We've only got fifteen days to put things together!" Poppy exclaims, "Why wouldn't they tell us ahead of time?"

"I don't know," Rose says, "But I don't think finding a date will be a problem of yours."

"I saw you and Evan in Hogsmeade," Rose teases.

"Shut up," Poppy laughs, "What about Charlie? We can double!"

"That would be fun!" Rose says.

"Are you two together now?" Poppy asks.

"No, not exactly," Rose says, considering the events of the first task, "We haven't really talked about it."

"You can pretty much guarantee Charlie's going to ask you," Poppy says, "The question is when…"

December 14th, 1994

"I can't believe noone's asked you yet," Poppy sighs, looking to Rose, laying on her bed, "Well, if you don't count that one first year."

"And I don't," Rose half laughs.

"I thought for sure Charlie would ask you," Poppy says, "But it's been several days. Most people already have dates.

"Maybe he doesn't like me anymore," Rose sighs.

"Don't say that," Poppy says, sitting up.

"Or maybe there's another girl," Rose says, wrinkling her nose, "A veela?"

Poppy laughs and says, "You're the only one he sees. I just think he's scared. Scared of the rejection."

"But I wouldn't reject him if he asked me!" Rose groans, "He should know that by now- I bloody well kissed him at the first task!"

"I don't know, Rose," Poppy says, "You might have to take matters into your own hands."

"Ask him, you mean?" Rose considers it, "Would that be weird?"

"No," Poppy says, fastening her cloak, "Just bite the bullet and do it."

"Bite the bullet?" Rose asks, confused.

"A muggle expression," Poppy laughs, "Never mind."

"I'm going to do it," Rose says as they race down the dormitory stairs, "By the end of the day I'm going to do it."

As they turn and look to the common room they find it deserted, all but one. Charlie stands, in the center of the room, holding a dozen red roses. The stars on the ceiling above reflect in his eyes. "Oh, my!" Poppy exclaims, hiding herself before he sees her, "I'll give you two a moment."

Charlie grins and hands her the flowers. "I thought you had lost interest in me," Rose admits.

"Nah," he says, "I just wanted to make you wait around a bit. One day for every year I had to."

He laughs and says, "In all honesty, I wasn't sure how to ask you," he pauses and says, "I'm still afraid you'll say no.

Poppy echoes in her brain, many  _I told you so_ 's will be in her future. "Would you say no?" he adds.

"You have to ask me first," Rose says, wanting to hear him say it.

Charlie rolls his eyes and says, "Rose Macguffin, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Yule Ball?"

Rose fake ponders for a minute, drawing out the time between his question and her answer. Bemused, she watches him sweat it out. "Yeah, I'll go," she says, finally.

"Brilliant," Charlie says awkwardly, shuffling his feet, not knowing what to do next.

"I was going to ask you, you know," Rose says, "Poppy and I planned it all."

"You're joking...me?" he says, "You wouldn't go for somebody better?"

"There is nobody better," Rose says.

"Not even Harry Potter?" he says, taking a chance by bringing him up.

"Not even Harry Potter," Rose grins, conjure a vase out of thin air, placing the beautiful roses inside.

At last, she finally gets it, it's finally time to let go of her impossible dream.

December 25th 1994

The day after Charlie asked Rose to the ball Evan asked Poppy, and everything was perfect...for a while. In the days to follow Harry Potter all but stalked their group and it was really hard to be around, especially since he was after Cho and not Rose. It made Rose feel bad, it was like the world was rubbing Harry Potter in her face. She tried to shrug it off but she couldn't. She never told Poppy or any of her other friends. She seethed in silence when Cho turned Harry down in favor of Cedric Diggory. It was clear she liked him too but didn't have the guts to break things off with Cedric. This left Harry Potter dateless, which irritated Rose immensely. Why she couldn't just be happy with Charlie she didn't know. It felt wrong, bad, and selfish of her.

In the week after that Rose's mother sent her a beautiful glittery, champagne pink colored dress, that sparkles with her every move. It was an early Christmas present, or so she said, as hardly any of the students were going home for the Holidays this year. Poppy's mother sent her a dress as well, a red one, from a shop by her home they'd been to the summer previous. They excitedly talked about shoes and their hair in the days before Christmas, doing several dry-runs of different looks.

But the day's finally here, Christmas day. Rose spends the morning with Charlie, sipping hot chocolate in the common room after breakfast, enjoying the Christmas tree, their presents, and just general time together. Charlie bought her a beautiful necklace that matches her dress perfectly. It's like he could guess what she's going to wear.

Excitedly, after lunch, the girls begin to ready themselves, busy divvying up the magical styling products from Callidora's Clippings, the hairdressing salon in Hogsmeade village. Rose's red locks shine brilliantly in the last sunlight of the day as they dress in the tower. She puts on some of her muggle lipstick for luck, before she turns to her friends.

Amelia and Millie decide to go together,not wanting to deal with the drama of boys. Nonetheless, they look fabulous. Millie dresses in canary yellow, coiling her hair up into a bun, while Amelia opts for a deep purple gown. "Line up over here, I'll set the timer," Amelia says, excitedly as they pose for a few photos.

"I'm taking it with me," Amelia says, "I'll get us all copies on our next trip to Hogsmeade!"

Amelia and Millie excitedly run down the stairs. Rose falters a moment, her stomach flipping. "Do I look alright?" she asks, turning to Poppy.

"You look lovely, stop worrying," Poppy says, "Charlie would love you in a brown paper bag with the daily prophet as a hat."

"That's about all its good for these days," a voice from the door says.

"Oh, Cho!" Rose exclaims, "You look absolutely lovely!"

Cho is wearing a light green dress with a mandarin collar and beautiful asian designs. "It's my mothers," she says.

"You two look lovely as well," she says.

"Do you want to go down with us?" Poppy asks.

"I can't" Cho answers, "I've got to meet Cedric by the kitchens. We're supposed to come in last, make an entrance."

"You know, the champions," she adds, shuffling her feet.

She's clearly uncomfortable about all the attention she's about to receive. "It'll be alright, Cho," Rose says, "You're a wonderful dancer."

Cho rolls her eyes and laughs, "Only because you taught me last minute,"

"Anyway," she adds, "I'll see you at the ball!"

"Can you help me?" Rose asks, picking up her pink pearl necklace.

Poppy places the hook in the eye and steps back. "Where'd you get that?" she asks.

"Charlie gave it to me this morning," Rose beams, admiring it.

"I wondered why he was asking what color your dress was," Poppy laughs, "Thank goodness I said the right thing."

"Ready?" Rose asks, holding out her arm.

Poppy takes it and they set down the stairs, carefully, both in very high heels. Charlie and Evan wait in the common room for them below, both dressed in brand new dress robes. "You look beautiful!" he exclaims, slipping a corsage on her wrist with pink roses.

"So do you!" Rose says, kissing him on the cheek, "You know, handsome, I mean."

He takes her by the arm and escorts her down the spiral staircase from Ravenclaw tower. She's glad she has him to lean on, as the stairs are precarious. Her choice of footwear is not looking the best. Nonetheless, she enjoys herself, forgetting the pain and suffering for a moment.

"Oh my!" Rose exclaims as the approach the brilliantly decorated first floor.

White glitter covers all in a sheet, like snow, Christmas trees with candles glimmering all around them. The walls are draped in sheets of ice blue and white silk. It truly is a winter wonderland.

Rose nods to Cho as they carefully step down the stairs, into the hall. They stop halfway into the hall, waiting for the champions. The door opens and Fleur slinks in, in true Veela fashion, on the arm of Roger Davies. Poppy rolls her eyes hard. Viktor Krum follows her, dressed in deep red and furs, Hermione Granger of all people on his arm. Several people gasp as she passes by. Hermione Granger is not one you'd expect to have Viktor Krum as her date, that's for certain. Cedric Diggory trots in, close behind, with Cho, who looks beautiful but incredibly nervous. But none looked more nervous than Harry Potter. Parvati Patil glitters by his side, a vision in a pink sari, but the fear in his eyes is unmistakable.

They make their way to the head of the hall and the band begins to play. The champions begin waltzing, most of them badly, short of the ever so graceful Fleur Delacour. Teachers and students slowly begin to enter the fray as well, Harry Potter bowing out of his obligation at the earliest opportunity. "May I have this dance?" Charlie asks, holding out his hand.

Rose takes it and he pulls her into the waltz, taking her waist, and seamlessly transitioning into the dance. "When did you learn to dance?" Rose beams.

"There's been some practices, late night, in the common room," he says, "All top secret of course."

"I would pay good money to see that," Rose laughs as they spin, he lifts her up as if she's weightless, and the song changes.

The pace quickens and suddenly they're not waltzing anymore, they're improvising, properly dancing. "It's the Weird Sisters!" Rose jumps up excitedly as Jarvis Cocker takes to the mic.

"Alright, Hogwarts! Are you ready for some real music?" he yells into the microphone, "I said are you ready? Are you ready? I can't hear you! Alright!"

"C'mon, I wanna see your hands in the air. We're going to teach you a brand new dance tonight," he says, "So move your body!"

"You gotta help us, Hogwarts. Together we can do this thing," Jarvis says, amping up the crowd, "Are you ready? Are you ready?"

Jarvis roars into  _Do the Hippogriff_ and the crowd goes wild, Rose included, jumping up and down, the momentary classiness of their waltz forgotten. Rose and Charlie scream the words as they dance.

Rose fans herself, boiling, two or three songs later. "Let's go get drinks," Charlie says, taking her hand and leading her to the drink table. "Hello, Jimmy," Rose says as Jimmy Higgins, a third year Ravenclaw boy hands them a glass of punch.

Rose and Charlie sit at a table for a minute, plopping down beside an irritated Hermione Granger and Viktor Krum. "Hey, Viktor," Rose says, "Hermione."

They smile and engage pleasantries a moment before they turn back to the dancefloor. "Are you having a good time?" Charlie wonders.

"Absolutely," Rose smiles, taking a sip of her drink.

"I'm glad," he says, loosening his tie.

"It wouldn't be the same if I wasn't with you," Rose says before he can say anything, "Because you're the only person I'd rather be with."

"Not even Poppy?" Charlie smiles.

"Nah, not even Pops," Rose says.

"Hey, I want to ask you a question," Charlie says, faltering, "But I'm not sure if I should."

"Holy hippogriffs it's hot in here," Poppy says, plopping down into a chair next to Rose, ruining the moment.

Rose looks to him apologetically. He nods, surely knowing there'd be another moment to ask his question. "Yeah it is," Rose says flatly, half irritated.

"I'll go get us some punch," Evan says, standing.

"I'll go with you," Charlie says, leaving the two girls alone.

"Bloody hell, Pops you ruined the moment," Rose groans, "Charlie was going to tell me something."

"Sorry, hun," Poppy says, "How was I supposed to know?"

"Forget about it," Rose says, "So how are you liking Evan?"

"I think I properly like him," Poppy says, "But he's an awful dancer."

"But Charlie's not," Poppy as, "Everyone was watching you!"

"What do you mean  _everyone?"_ Rose asks, taken aback.

"You know, everybody else whose dates were awful dancers, Millie, Amelia, Ron, Harry, Seamus, and practically the rest of our year," Poppy says, "No big deal."

"No big deal?" Rose exclaims, "I'm so embarrassed!"

"I wouldn't be embarrassed if I was with him," Poppy says.

"No I don't mean that...I just don't like the attention," Rose says, "It makes me uncomfortable."

Charlie returns with Evan a few minutes later and whisks her off back to the dancefloor. The fast song ends, morphing into a slow one. Rose puts her arms around his neck as he takes her waist and they sway, spinning around the dancefloor. "People are watching us, you know" Rose says.

"Let them," Charlie smiles, "It's because we're excellent dancers."

"Besides," He adds, "They're faces are all blurs, you're the only one I see."

"I only know because Poppy's told me," Rose says, "Have you seen me look away?"

He shakes his head. "What about that question then?" she asks, "Tell me."

"It's stupid," he says, "I don't want to ruin your night."

"I'd say yes, you know," Rose says, "To your question."

"But you-" Charlie starts.

"Yes," Rose says, "I'm your girlfriend."

Charlie smiles, relieved that Rose doesn't exactly beat around the bush. "Here's the part where you're supposed to kiss me," Rose says.

"That I think I can do," he says, leading her face into his.

They kiss for a long while, forgetting the people around them. They didn't matter, not Poppy, not Harry, not anybody. All that matters is that she has Charlie, and she'll never let him go.

"Let's go somewhere more private," Rose says, grabbing his arm, fixing her smudged lipstick with her other hand.

Charlie grins and nods at Seamus, who beams. Even Harry Potter momentarily grins, happy for them. "Get in," Rose demands, pushing him into one of the wooden carriages in the courtyard.

"I never knew you were this forward," Charlie says, surprised.

"Is it a problem?" She says, leaning away from him.

"God, no!" he says quickly, "I've been wanting to snog you since...well...forever."

Rose laughs and says, "We can make up for lost time."

She pulls him in close and kisses him hard, breaking away from his face as cold air hits her face. "Get lost!" Rose bellows, returning to Charlie, but he doesn't kiss her back.

"R-Rose-" he points.

Rose turns to face Professor Snape. "Out," he demands.

"Hooper, 10 points from Ravenclaw," he starts, "Ah, Miss Macguffin. 20 points from Ravenclaw."

"Why does he only get ten?" Rose demands of him as Charlie helps her out of the carriage.

"Because quite frankly I find you insufferable," Professor Snape starts, "And it is my prerogative, Miss Macguffin. Shall I make it 30 points then?"

Rose shakes her head, conceding, "Fine," she says.

Snape turns away from them and starts down the row, blasting open more of the carriages. "He hates you," Charlie half laughs.

"It isn't funny!" Rose says, "We've lost our house thirty points!"

"We'll make it back," Charlie says, "That's about one day's worth of work for you."

"Shut up," Rose says.

After talking it over for a few minutes the two decide to go back to the common room. There'd be plenty of other opportunities to snog later. They'd only just decided to get together anyway.

"Goodnight," Rose says at her dormitory door, Charlie following close behind.

"Merry Christmas, Rose," Charlie says, "Thank you for coming to the ball with me."

He kisses her softly on this lips and says, "And thank you for saying yes."

February 24th, 1995

"I wonder what the second task will be," Rose says aside to Charlie as all the students are ushered towards the black lake.

"It had something to do with those golden eggs, I'm sure of it," Charlie comments.

"Hang on," Rose says, "Where's Cho?"

"She was supposed to meet us here and I never saw her at breakfast this morning," Rose says, "Do you think we should go look for her?"

"She'll be fine, she's probably just running late," Charlie says, "She must be at the library or something, studying for her O.W.L.S."

"I guess you're right," Rose says as Charlie helps her into a small rowboat.

The boat propels them magically to the stands, streaming high into the air, in the middle of the lake.

"Welcome to the second task," Dumbledore's voice sounds on the loudspeaker, "Last night something was stolen from each of our champions. A treasure of sorts. These four treasures, one for each champion, now lie on the bottom of the black lake. In order to win each champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface. Simple enough."

"Except for this, they will have one hour to do so and one hour only," Dumbledore adds ominously, "After that they'll be on their own."

"Good luck, Harry!" Charlie says as he passes.

He nods to him and Seamus, his eyes terrified. The four champions lineup mere feet from Rose. "You may begin at the start of the canon!" Dumbledore says.

The canon sounds and the crowd cheers. Three of the champions dive gracefully into the water, leaving Harry Potter above decks. Mad-Eye Moody pushes him into the water. "What's the matter with him?" Seamus asks, seeing him writhing around.

"I dont know, I can't see him," Charlie says.

"Oh my god, I've killed Harry Potter!" Neville exclaims, turning to them.

Harry jumps out of the water, into the air, flipping like a dolphin. The crowd roars as he returns to the lake. "Now that the champions have set off on their quest, let's take a look and see if we can see what they're doing!" Dumbledore exclaims, casting four silver orbs into the air.

They shake for a moment before showing an image of all four of the champions, all in different parts of the lake, searching for the treasure. "Is that Viktor Krum?" Charlie exclaims, "He's a bloody shark!"

"And Harry has gills," Rose points, "And webbed feet!"

"It's gillyweed," Neville says proudly, "I gave it to him."

"Well done, Neville," Rose claps a hand on his shoulder.

Neville blushes beet red and turns to watch the challenge. A few minutes later Fleur Delacour lands herself into some trouble, not able to get past the grindylows. "The Beauxbatons champion Miss Delacour has unfortunately been forced to retire," Dumbledore's voice booms through the stands, "She will take no further part in this task."

Fleur is helped out of the water and nervously watches the orbs, wondering what has been taken from her. "Rose! Rose!" she says, rushing to her, "Have you seen my sister, Gabrielle?"

"I'm sorry, Fleur," Rose says considering it, "Now that you mention it, Cho is missing too!"

"That's it!" she exclaims, shaking, "They've taken them! That's the treasure!"

"No!" Rose cries out, "They would never do that!"

Sure enough, a few minutes later Cedric and Cho surface, safely, winning the second task. "Cho! Cho!" Rose says, grabbing a towel and throwing it over her. Cho coughs and shivers but is largely alright.

"Th-they came and took me when I was studying," she chokes out.

Rose rubs her back and looks to Charlie. He hangs his head. "Cho, they took Gabrielle, and Fleur didn't finish the task."

"They can't just let her die," Cho says, looking to Cedric, who shrugs.

Hermione and Krum surface next, the stands looking to the last remaining orb, Harry Potter's. He waffles as he tries to save both Ron Weasley and Gabrielle, being told he can only save one. As the mer-man isn't looking he releases Ron and sends sparks at Gabrielle's, sending her to the surface too. Fleur gasps with relief as she rushes down, to the water's edge.

As Fleur helps Gabrielle out of the water the crowd loses sight of Harry. "Where is he?" Rose asks, trying to make out the mayhem that is Harry's orb.

Bubbles stream across the surface, suggesting much turbulence underneath. Harry suddenly flies out of the water, wand aloft, landing on the decks, two inches from Rose's feet. Charlie pushes her back as he lands. Hermione Granger rushes to him, throwing a towel over him.

"Are you alright? You must be freezing!" she says, "Personally I think you behaved admirably."

"I finished last, Hermione," he says, depressed.

"Next to last," Hermione says, imitating Fleur's accent, "Fleur couldn't get past the Grindylows."

"Attention, Attention!" Dumbledore booms, extremely close to them and magically magnified, "The winner is Mr. Diggory. For showing unique command of the bubblehead charm. The way I see it, Mr Potter would have finished first had it not been for his determination to rescue not only Mr Weasley but the others as well."

"We've agreed to award him second place!" Dumbledore announces, "For outstanding moral fibre."

"Way to go, Harry!" Charlie cheers.

"I'm sorry, Fleur," Rose attempts to console her friend.

"Oh, Rose, I do not care about ze' tournament anymore!" Fleur exclaims, "I'm just glad my sister is alright!"

Rose and Charlie begin to get into the boats once again, and head back up to the school. Charlie worms his hand out of his pocket and into hers. Their arms swing in sync as they begin their long walk. "That was terrifying," Rose says, "But not as bad as the first task."

"I know what you mean," Charlie admits, "A lot less exciting. They should've saved the dragons for the second task and had this be the first."

"Who knows what the third will be," Rose sighs, "I'm just glad that we're not a part of it."

"Would you have entered if you were seventeen?" Charlie asks.

"I'm not sure. After seeing some of the tasks, definitely not," Rose remembers, "But before that I might have considered it."

"You?" she asks.

"Oh definitely not," Charlie admits, "I'm not looking to get myself killed anytime soon."

"Good," Rose says, "I very much like that you're alive."

"I like that you're alive, too," he smiles.

February 26th, 1995

"Happy Birthday!" Poppy says, jumping on top of Rose, waking her up.

"Poppy," Rose groans, sitting up, rubbing her eyes, "It's too early!"

"It's eight-o-clock," Poppy says, "I thought you'd want some breakfast before you head to Hogsmeade."

"Oooh, Hogsmeade," Amelia and Millie lean in, plopping on the edge of Rose's bed, "Going to Pudifoot's with Charlie?"

"Yeah, I guess," Rose shrugs, "I told him we'd do whatever he wants."

"Naturally he's planned something," Poppy says, "I mean, he planned something on the fly when everyone was sick last year."

"I just hope I can see everyone later," Rose says, "Maybe I can convince him to take me to the Three Broomsticks to meet you guys."

"Don't worry about us, Rose," Millie says, "We'll meet up with you later for dinner."

"I'm still going to ask," Rose says, rolling out of bed to get dressed, "It doesn't hurt."

A half hour later Rose heads down to breakfast, friends in tow, eager to grab some toast before going to Hogsmeade. "Where's Charlie?" Rose frowns, looking for him at the table.

"He'll be along," Poppy says, "It's early for a Sunday."

Rose takes a few bites of toast and tries to forget it. "Rose," Poppy slams her on the back, "There he is."

"Hey," he says, kissing her on the cheek.

"Hey," Rose repeats.

"Happy Birthday!" he says, climbing onto the bench beside her.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a single red rose. "A Rose for Rose," he says, pinning it behind her ear, in her hair.

"It's bewitched so it'll never die," Charlie says, "At least not until Flitwick does anyway."

"It's beautiful," Rose says.

"So are you," he muses.

"Ugh, you two are disgusting," Amelia laughs, "Get a room."

"Alright, alright," Charlie concedes, "We'll save it for later."

A few moments later the mail comes, Aya dropping several letters and packages onto Rose's lap. She flips through the cards from birthday-wishes, getting one from her Gran, Aunt, and from her Parents. "Oh look, Char, your mum's sent me a card too!" she brandishes the alarmingly pink envelope.

"She never told me," Charlie blushes, "She talks about you in her letters all the time. I'm not sure why I didn't expect it."

Rose opens the envelope and slides out the card. A quaffle soars away from the hoop in a painting printed on the front, leaving these words in its wake,  _Happy Birthday, Rose, You're A Keeper!._ Charlie's face reddens deeper. Rose giggles and smiles wide as she opens it:

_Rose, I hope you have a lovely birthday! Charlie has told us you'll be spending the day with him and we couldn't be more thrilled. My husband and I are over the moon. Write us back soon, darling, we'd love to hear from you. Thank you for making my baby boy so happy. Love, Mathilda xx_

"You're mum is the sweetest!" Rose says.

"And the sappiest," Charlie says, embarrassed.

"I like that she's sappy," Rose says, "She's such a nice woman."

She shuffles the pile and opens up a box marked with Ellis's familiar scrawl.  _HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSE!_ is scratched on the inside of the card in large letters. Rose reads on,  _Hope you have a great birthday. Write me soon, haven't heard from you in a while. I suppose my idiot brother is to blame. I hope he's keeping you busy (not in that way, get your mind out of the gutter, Macguffin). Anywho, I hope you enjoy the presents, put them to good use. I want to see you in the papers next year with the House Cup. Love, El_

"He's so mean," Charlie laughs, shaking his head as Rose digs into the packaging.

"Look, we can go see him play!" Rose says, brandishing two tickets to see Puddlemere United.

"He says he can get you more whenever you want," Charlie says, "Though he might not be on the team for long. Rumor has it that the English National Team are scouting him."

"But the bleeder won't tell me anything," he adds.

Rose plucks out a chocolate quaffle and quickly sneaks it into her robes. If you know one thing about Rose, she doesn't share chocolate. "No, are you joking?" she says as she picks up a small slip of paper from Sprintwitches, "No way."

"Yes way," Charlie grins, "We went in on it together."

"I-I can't accept this," Rose says, "That's too much."

"Aren't you going to tell us what it is?" Poppy asks.

"A Nimbus 2001," Rose says, floored, "It's an order form for a new broom."

"Blimey, is that expensive," Rose says.

"Ellis is on a quidditch player's salary now," Charlie says, "Trust me, he's not hurting for galleons. He's just picked himself up a firebolt this summer."

"Are you sure?" Rose asks.

"Positive," Charlie says, "We're picking it up in an hour."

"Thank you," Rose says, "I don't know what to say,"

"Then don't say anything," he says.

Rose leans in and kisses him, causing her friends to squawk again. "Oy!" she says, "Shut up, we're having a moment."

"Let's head out, don't you think?" Charlie says, "Otherwise we'll have to listen to these three whine all day."

Poppy makes a face at them. "Have fun you two!" she says as they turn to leave.

"We will," Charlie calls, waving goodbye.

A half hour later they arrive at the heart of the village, ready to spend the day together. "It's so cold," Rose shivers.

"Let's get some tea," he says, gesturing to Madam Pudifoot's.

"I don't want to force you to go in there," Rose says, "But since it's my birthday I'll take you up on the offer."

Charlie takes her hand and leads her into the tea shop. The bell twinkles overhead but nobody looks up to them. The place is filled, once again, with younger girls and couples. This time, at least, Rose is the category in which she wishes to belong to. "Early grey," Charlie says as he takes a seat at an empty round table.

"The same," Rose says, folding a white lace napkin on her lap.

Rose nibbles on a biscuit as they wait for their tea to arrive. "Ive never been here before," Charlie says, looking around, "It's...interesting."

"I've been here once with Cho," Rose says, "It's much nicer being here with you."

He smiles as Rose takes a biscuit. "Don't have too many," Charlie warns her, "You'll spoil our lunch later."

"Ooh, lunch!" she says, "But I'll have the biscuits anyway."

"You're a bottomless pit," he laughs.

"Coming from you that's rich," she laughs.

Madam Pudifoot levitates their tea to them. Rose sips hers as they sit in silence for a moment, enjoying their time together. They talk for a long while, about school, their friends, parents, and everything they can think of. Naturally, they steal a few kisses along the way as the other couples in Madam Pudifoot's can easily make one want a snog.

An hour passes and they pay for their drinks, leave, and head for Sprintwitches. "I'm beyond excited," Rose admits, grinning as they enter the shop.

Moments later the little man behind the counter goes into the back room, reemerging with a tightly packaged, but incredibly recognizable Nimbus 2001. "It's beautiful," Rose says, peeking through the packaging.

They thank the man and exit the shop. Rose lifts the broom up high, almost in victory. "Thank you for this," she says, kissing him lightly, "The first thing I'm doing when we go back to school is send Ellis a letter."

"He misses you, I think," Charlie says, "You were always like a little sister to him."

"Even more so now," he adds.

"It's weird how your life can take such unexpected turns, you know?" Rose says, "It's weird how many things connect us to each other, yet we hardly spoke until third year."

"My fault, probably," Charlie laughs, "Eleven year old me didn't like girls much."

"What did you like?" Rose asks.

"Dung bombs and quidditch," he laughs.

"Nothing changes," she says.

"Watch it, Rosie, or I'll take that broom away!" he teases.

"You're gonna have to pry it out of my cold dead hands, Hooper," Rose grins.

They walk for a few more minutes, not really sure where they're going. "Hey listen," Charlie says, "I'm starving. Three Broomsticks?"

"I'm always up for food," she laughs.

"SURPRISE!" everyone in the tavern yells as fireworks burst overheard and people clap.

"What's this?" Rose asks, astonished.

"You're birthday party!" Poppy smiles.

Seamus, Dean, Millie, Amelia, Cho, Marietta Edgecombe, Fleur Delacour, Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Patil twins, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley, are amongst the party-goers. "Thank you so much," Rose says, addressing the crowd, "You didn't have to do this, really!"

"Of course we did!" Cho says, "You wouldn't do any less for us."

"Charlie, Rose, come sit," Poppy ushers them completely inside, sitting them at the head of several large tables put together.

"Did you plan this all along?" Rose says aside to Charlie.

"Poppy and I," Charlie says, "And Cho helped loads."

"Is that a broom?" Seamus asks, astonished.

"Nimbus 2001," Rose grins, "Charlie's got it for me."

"You're going to love riding a Nimbus," Harry says, "If it hadn't blown into the Whomping Willow last year I'd still be riding my old one."

"Yeah, well you can't complain, you've got a firebolt now, Harry!" Ron interjects.

"So long as it's even competition between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor I don't mind," Rose grins, "I won't be letting in goals anymore with this broom."

"So long as Charlie doesn't hit me in the head with a bludger or something," Rose jokes.

"That was one time!" Charlie kids.

The group passes around a particularly large pitcher of butterbeer as they talk. It's nice to see Harry and Ron together again, after the particularly nasty pause to their friendship earlier in the year.

An hour or so later Cho and Poppy leave the table to bring the cake, shaped like the quidditch pitch. "Is that me at the goalposts," Rose laughs at the red dot of frosting zooming back and forth in front of her.

"You caught that, huh?" Poppy laughs, "That was all Cho."

The group sings her  _Happy Birthday_ and she blows out the floating flames on top of the cake.

"What did you wish for?" Charlie leans in and asks her.

"Nothing," Rose says, "I've got everything I've ever wanted."

They cut the cake promptly and dole out pieces to everyone.

"Thanks for coming, guys," Rose says as they file out of the tavern and up back to the school, arm and arm with Charlie.

She pulls him aside, to accompany her to the broom closet to put away her Nimbus 2001. "One ride won't hurt, will it?" she asks.

Rose and Charlie mount the broom together and kick off from the ground. The broom, faster than they had imagined, takes off, soaring over the grounds. "Whoa," Rose says as they steady over the lake.

The last light of day sits on the horizon. "It's beautiful," she says as they hover.

Rose kisses him, not bothering to look at the sight in front of her. He is more important.

Rose couldn't imagine a more perfect birthday.

April 19th, 1995

Not much has changed in Rose's life since her birthday, short of her studies of course. With the O.W.L.S. in mind, the professors of Hogwarts school had assigned an exceptional amount of work. It seems to Rose that the longer she goes to Hogwarts, the worse it gets. She longs to be a first year again, or at least have a first year's schedule anyhow.

Rose thought Professor Binns was boring when he was droning on about the giant wars, but the goblin wars were worse. Not much learning goes on in the History of Magic classroom. Even Hermione Granger has been caught once or twice glancing out the window or staring off into space. And that's saying something.

Snape and Rose continued their mutual dislike of one another, which doesn't come as much of a surprise. She counted her lucky stars that she hadn't had another altercation with him. She avoids him not at all costs.

The Easter holiday had been excellent. Rose didn't wanted to leave her parents but they'd be there, Hogwarts wouldn't. She only has three more years ahead of her, she's more than halfway. Besides, she's got Charlie, Poppy, Cho, and the rest of her friends. It saddened her that her home in Inverness felt hardly like home anymore.

"This exam for Binns will be the death of me," Rose groans, her head in Charlie's lap, her feet up on the arm of the couch.

"Hey you're the one who wanted to spend our Saturday night studying," he says, "I'd be happy doing...other…. _things?"_

"Four more questions," Rose says, "Then we can do  _other things."_

Charlie is surely obsessed with snogging. He hardly wants to come up for air. "When did the Goblin Rebellions take place?" he asks.

"That's easy, mid 18th century," Rose says.

"Who lead the dissidents?" he follows up.

"I have trouble with the names," Rose groans, "They all sound the same."

"Erm- Urg?" she answers, "Urg the Unclean?"

"Right," he says, "What prompted the rebellions?"

"Well, for starters wizards treat goblins horribly. We don't let them have wands, don't represent them in the Wizengamot. And that one bloke tried to kill them to seize control of Gringotts."

"What was his name?" Charlie asks.

"Platt," Rose laughs, "I can remember that one because it sounds like  _pratt."_

"There's your four," he says, kissing her forehead.

"I still don't feel prepared," Rose says, covering her face with her hands.

"You'll do fine," he says.

She sits up next to him and smooths down her hair. "Now...I believe I have promised you a snog," she grins, taking him by the hand.

June 24th, 1995

"I hope this one won't be too bad," Rose says as she walks down to the grounds with Charlie and Poppy.

Cho tags along behind them, excitedly talking to Cedric. Rose likes Cedric a whole lot more than she liked the idea of her with Harry Potter. He's incredibly kind and a very skilled wizard. She's happy for them.

"You nervous, Ced?" Charlie calls behind him.

Cedric shakes his head and grins, "I did alright on the other two," he shrugs, "I'm hoping it won't be that bad."

"Zat bad?" Fleur groans, "These tasks are wearing me out. Hopefully I'll finish this time."

"Don't beat yourself up about the last task, Fleur," Rose says, clapping an arm on her shoulder, whispering, "You ought to be alright against Krum, won't you? He's not the sharpest licorice snap in the box."

Fleur laughs and says, "Oh, Rose you always are so funny. It should be you that's competing."

"I'm lucky you're not seventeen," Cedric quips, "Because you'd probably be the one going into this task, not me."

"I wouldn't enter if you promised me a hundred thousand galleons," Rose shakes her head.

"But best of luck to both of you," she adds.

Rose, Charlie, and Cho head up into the stands of the quidditch pitch to find Poppy, Evan, and the others. "Look, it's a maze!" Cho exclaims, "Everything looks so different!"

"I hope Ced will win," she sighs, "No offense to Fleur."

"You really can't go wrong," Rose laughs, "I'm not quite sure who to root for."

"As long as it's not Potter, no offense to him," Charlie says.

Rose brushes it off and ignores him. Music plays loud as the band strikes up and Dumbledore and the champions enter. "Earlier today Professor Moody placed the tri-wizards cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position," he says, "Now as Mr Diggory…"

The crowd goes wild at the mention of his name. "...and Mr Potter tied for first position they will be the first to enter the maze," Dumbledore continues, "Followed by Mr Krum…"

The Durmstrang students erupt into cheers and applause. Rose claps politely. "The first person to touch the cup will be the winner. I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter, if at any point should a contestant wish to withdraw from the task he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands," Dumbledore finishes, turning to the champions, "Contestants, gather round."

Dumbledore closes around them and whispers out of earshot of the crowd. "On the count of three….one-"

The cannon goes off early. Cedric and Harry shrug and enter the maze. A few seconds later Krum and Fleur are allowed to enter as well. "Well this is boring," Charlie groans, "We can't see anything!"

"I thought they'd do what they did for the second task," Rose says, "We could be waiting here for hours."

"At least it's a nice night," Charlie shrugs, looking up to the stars.

An hour passes of no activity. The students begin to grow bored and tired, some sleeping. Rose rests her head on Charlie's shoulder, thankful her boyfriend doesn't mind. The crowd cheers and Rose snaps awake, seeing Harry appear with the cup, Cedric laying beside him.

"Oh my god he won!" Rose cheers.

Charlie rolls his eyes. A commotion surrounds Harry as he bellows, "He's back, he's back! Voldemort's back."

"W-what's wrong with Cedric?" Amelia asks.

"Oh my god," Rose says, "No!"

"Cedric, he asked me to bring his body back," Harry yells through his shocked tears, "I couldn't leave him, not there."

Cho weeps hard, clutching her face. "Cho- my god, Cho!" Rose says, throwing her arm around her, "I'm so sorry."

"Keep everybody in their seats. A boy has just been killed," Rose catches the Minister of Magic confirm before the rest of his words are lost by gasps of the other students.

Cho falls to her knees in the stand, face red, breathing hard. Rose crouches on the ground, hugging her, large tears falling from her own eyes. She looks up, red-eyed, at her boyfriend wondering what to do.

"Let me through," Let me through!" Amos Diggory, Cedric's father says, bursting through the crowd.

"That's my son!" he bellows with sadness, clutching his lifeless body, "My boy!"

Cho screams with grief and sadness. People begin to crowd around them, causing her to panic. "Get away, the lot of you," Charlie says, brandishing his wand, "Or I'll blast you back. The poor girl has lost her boyfriend. Have some respect!"

"Cho, sweetheart, we have to go, we have to get out of here, there's too many people," Rose says, guiding her back to the standing position.

"I-I have to go to him," she pleads, "I can't leave."

Cho pushes through the crowd to the center of the pitch, out of Rose's grasp. Rose runs behind her trying to catch up. Cho stares down at his icy body in horror. "Cho-no!" Rose pulls her away, her strength winning.

"Let me go!" Cho pleads as Rose half drags her back towards the castle.

"Let me," Charlie says, muttering a simple sleeping spell under his breath.

He scoops Cho up and carries her up to Ravenclaw Tower. Rose sobs silently behind him as students begin to follow. "Take her to her room," Rose says, thinking better of it, "Scratch that, take her to  _my_ room."

Charlie trots up the stairwell to the girls' dormitories as Rose turns around, wipes her face and addresses the crowd of terrified Ravenclaws. "I ask you all to be respectful of Cho during this difficult time. Her boyfriend, my friend, our Hogwarts champion has been killed tonight. The circumstances of which we do not know."

Rose swallows hard, biding her time, "Give us time, please. And someone for the love of god bring Professor Flitwick."

A few second year girls race out of the room for help. "Please, she needs to be alone," Rose adds, turning away from them.

Charlie placed Cho in Rose's bed in her absence. Though she's asleep her face remains scrunched, the stain of wet tears still visible on her face. "I've sent for Flitwick," Rose says, sitting next to him, "I don't know what else to do."

"You were brilliant," she adds, "I was panicking."

"I didn't know Cedric well," Charlie says, "It was understandable...you lost him too."

"Poor Cho," Rose whispers, looking at her, "I-I couldn't imagine how she must feel."

Tears fall from Rose's eyes, but Charlie wipes them away. "Can you imagine that? If it had been one of us?"

"I don't even want to think about that," Charlie says, "I think I'd just drop dead on the spot."

"I love you too much."

"I love you too."

Rose's hand finds her way into Charlie's as they sit and wait for their head of house. A knock sounds at the door several minutes later. "Miss Macguffin?" tiny Professor Flitwick says.

"Is Miss Chang alright?" he adds.

"As alright as he can be," Rose says.

"Oh, Professor, what's happened?" she adds, "I had all I could do to get Cho out of there."

"Several things," he says, "Too many things."

"Harry Potter claims that he and Cedric reached the cup at the same time and they were both transported to a graveyard somewhere in England," he says, "The cup, the cup was a portkey."

"My god," Rose whispers to herself as he continues.

"We didn't know," he says, "It was intended to take him to You-Know-Who's followers. They wanted to use Harry to bring the dark lord back to a corporeal form."

"And did he?" Charlie asks, "Did he succeed?"

"According to Potter he did," Flitwick says, "He killed Cedric on a whim. Somehow Harry managed to get back to the cup and it transported him back to Hogwarts."

"I thought you couldn't transport within the grounds?" Rose says, "Or apparate?"

"True, Miss Macguffin, I'm glad you've been paying attention in my class," he smiles, "A charm has been placed on the school that prevents apparition or portkeys. Only an especially powerful wizard could have broken it."

"You think it's the same person who put Harry's name in the goblet?" she asks.

"Certainly," he says, "And the culprit isn't a mystery. I've just been informed that Professor Moody really isn't Professor Moody at all, but Barty Crouch Jr."

"Barty Crouch has a son?" Rose asks, "I didn't know."

"Convicted death eater until his death some time ago," Flitwick says, "We think he might have been the one to kill his father."

"What are we supposed to do now?" Rose asks, "With Cho I mean."

"Do you think I should take her to the hospital wing?" she adds.

"I think the best thing for her is to stay right here," Flitwick says, reaching into his robes, "And when she should wake give her this."

He hands Rose a bottle of red liquid. "What is it?"

"Firewhiskey," he says, "Helps with any pain."

"Thank you Professor," Rose says as he gets up to leave.

"Thank you for taking care of Miss Chang," he smiles, "You'd make an excellent Head Girl if I must say."

Professor Flitwick exits and returns to the other teachers of Hogwarts School. "I should go," Charlie says, "I shouldn't be here when she wakes up."

Cho stirs slightly as he waves from the door, shutting it behind them. "R-rose!" she says, rubbing her eyes, "I had the most awful dream."

"That wasn't a dream, Cho," Rose says, "As much as you want it to be."

Cho sits up and her face slackens, her mouth hanging open, deadpan, almost as dead-looking as Cedric. "Why?" she asks flatly, "Why Cedric?"

"I don't know," Rose says, "It seems to me that the worst things happen to the best people."

"How did Harry survive when Cedric was so much older?" she asks, "When Cedric had so much more experience?"

"I'm not sure I have an answer for you. Harry is lucky to be alive," Rose sighs, "Cedric wasn't so lucky."

"How do I get rid of this feeling?" Cho asks, clutching her chest, "Like my chest is going to rip open."

"With this," Rose says uncorking the bottle of firewhiskey.

Cho takes a large sip and wrinkles her nose as the whiskey burns her through. Her muscles slacken ever so slightly. She passes the bottle to Rose who also takes a swig, feeling justified to need it as well. "I feel confused and angry," she says, "I-I don't know what to do."

"No-one does," Rose says, "You just have to make it up as you go along."

"I-is there going to be a funeral?" Cho asks, "Where have they taken him? Can I see him?"

"Cho, look, many things have happened tonight," Rose says, "More than you can imagine."

Rose relates the story of the graveyard to Cho as carefully as she can, careful not to be insensitive. "He killed him, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, didn't he?" Cho asks, eyes red from the tears.

"Yes, he did," Rose says, leaning into her, "We lost Cedric tonight. And it was such a loss. Cedric was a good wizard and an even better man. He didn't deserve that fate."

"He told me he loved me last night," Cho admits, "I know he meant it."

"Only I'm not sure I did," Cho adds.

"Don't say that. Whatever it was, love or something of the like, you loved Cedric as a person and that's enough," Rose says, "Death does funny things to us. It makes us question our every decision. Think about the past. Think about all the things we could change."

"Everything's going to change," Cho says, "If the Dark Lord is back. We'll all meet Cedric's fate."

"I will not and neither will you because you're going to be strong, Cho. You're going to be strong for him. We're never going to stop fighting for him," Rose says, "We'll make sure the Death Eaters pay for this. One way or another."

"What can we do, we're just kids!" Cho pleads.

"Harry Potter was a baby when he first defeated him!" Rose says.

"That was different!" Cho protests.

"How?" Rose asks, "Harry Potter beat the Dark Lord with love and by god, we're going to beat him with love and kindness. But we will fight. We will fight to the death, mark my words it will come to it."

"How can you be so brave in the face of so much violence and danger?" Cho asks.

"Because I can't believe I'm going to exist in a world where men like Cedric Diggory die for nothing," Rose says, "I can't let his death be for not."

Rose and Cho sit in silence for several moments before she speaks again. "How did I get up here?"

"Charlie carried you. Well, actually Charlie knocked you out  _then_ he carried you," Rose starts, "You put up quite the fight."

"Do the others know?" she says wondering of her fellow Ravenclaws.

"Yes they do. But we managed to keep you out of the fray for the most part," Rose answers, "I told them you wanted to be alone."

"Thank you," Cho says, "Do you think I could stay here with you for the night? I-I don't want to have to talk to people."

"Sure, Cho," Rose says, "Anything you need."

July 2nd, 1995

"Today we acknowledge a really terrible loss. Cedric Diggory was as you all know, exceptionally hard working, intricately fair minded. And most importantly a fierce fierce friend," Dumbledore starts, addressing the students of all three wizarding schools at the end of the year feast, "I think therefore you have the right to know exactly how he died. You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

Several people flinch at the mention of his name. "The ministry of magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so I think would be an insult to his memory," he continues, "Now the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds us that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. In light of recent events the bonds of friendship we made this year will be more important than ever."

As Cho sobs silently into Rose's chest Charlie rubs her hand. She could hardly have gotten through this without him. "Remember that and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain, you remember that. And we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest and brave and true right to the very end," Dumbledore finishes.

The students file out of the hall, somber, glancing up at the black banners hanging from the un-enchanted ceiling. "I miss him so much," Cho says gaining her composure.

"I'll never forget him. Never," Cho asserts herself, "Dumbledore's right, we have to find the good in this. We have to find hope that we can defeat evil. Cedric was a light in the darkness until the very end. We can't let that light be extinguished."

"No we can't," a voice says from behind her.

Harry Potter hangs his head, cuts from the battle still littering his face. "I'm sorry I couldn't save him."

"Harry," she squeezes his hand, tears falling from her eyes, "I don't blame you."

"I blame Lord Voldemort," she says proudly, "Harry, I believe you."

July 3rd, 1995

After the feast the students filed out into the courtyard to bid goodbye to their guests. Fleur slipped her address to Rose on a piece of neatly folded parchment and asked her to write to her. Even promising her to show her around Paris if she wanted. She'd miss Fleur and the others.

But the train ride home is less than cheery as mourning for Cedric really hadn't ended yet. Rose, Poppy, Cho, Marietta, Amelia, and Millie sit in silence, each trying not to catch on of the others' eyes, for many hours into their journey. "Thank you for understanding," Cho finally says, breaking the silence, "I know you must have questions but I'm finding it incredibly hard to talk about what happened."

"We know, Cho," Poppy says, "We're here to listen when you're ready."

"I just wish I could forget for a bit," Cho says, "Think about something else."

"Let's get something from the trolley," Rose says, standing, "Chocolate always makes things better."

"I wish I had that in place of that firewhiskey," Cho says, laughing for the first time in weeks, "Bleh!"

The girls eat their chocolate and share in a few laughs, forgetting their troubles for a moment. That's what Cho needed most.

As the train pulls into the station the girls bid them a goodbye, leaving Cho and Rose together on the platform. Instead of going home Cho will be staying with the Macguffins for a week before catching a portkey to her own house. Cho still struggles being alone. Rose predicts that when she leaves she'll get at least three letters a day.

"There you are!" Rose says, spotting Charlie, "I'll be right back, Cho!"

"Thought you could slip away from me unnoticed, eh?" he says.

Rose throws her arms around him and says, "Oh, you'll see me in a few weeks anyway."

"I can't believe our parents are going to let us go traveling," he laughs, " _Us!"_

"Ellis will be there for part of it," Rose says, "But I suppose he'll probably just get us into  _more_ trouble."

"I'll see you in a few weeks, alright?" Rose says kissing him on the cheek.

Charlie grabs her and pulls her in close, kissing her hard on the lips. "I'll miss you," he says.

"I'll miss you too," Rose says, "I'll send you a letter straight away when I get home, okay?"

He nods as she waves goodbye, heading with Cho down the platform. She turns back halfway to spy one last look at him. She wishes they lived closer. That's part of the reason her parents are allowing her to go on holiday with him. It's very hard to leave him. But it's only a few weeks. And besides, she has Cho to worry about. And that would not be easy.


End file.
